📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vikas Tanwar
Sports
Rajasthan faces acute coach shortage on National Sports Day: 1,700 needed, only 50 available
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jaipur
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 04:36 PM
👁 3
On National Sports Day, Rajasthan's sports department revealed a gap of 1,650 coaching positions, underscoring a shortage of fields, training and resources.
The celebration of National Sports Day in Rajasthan also became a platform for officials to expose the stark shortfall in the state's sports coaching workforce. A recent internal review disclosed that while the state estimates a requirement of around 1,700 qualified coaches, only about 50 are currently on the payroll.
The disparity highlights a systemic challenge: existing sports complexes and training centres lack sufficient personnel to run regular programs, limiting opportunities for budding athletes across the state. In addition to the coaching deficit, the report pointed out that many venues suffer from inadequate infrastructure, insufficient equipment, and limited access to professional development for the few coaches in service.
State authorities acknowledged the urgency of the situation and indicated that a large-scale recruitment drive will be necessary to bridge the gap. However, no specific timeline or budgetary allocation was disclosed in the statement released on the occasion of the national observance.
Experts warn that without swift action, the talent pipeline for sports such as athletics, hockey and wrestling could be compromised, affecting Rajasthan's performance in national competitions.
The disparity highlights a systemic challenge: existing sports complexes and training centres lack sufficient personnel to run regular programs, limiting opportunities for budding athletes across the state. In addition to the coaching deficit, the report pointed out that many venues suffer from inadequate infrastructure, insufficient equipment, and limited access to professional development for the few coaches in service.
State authorities acknowledged the urgency of the situation and indicated that a large-scale recruitment drive will be necessary to bridge the gap. However, no specific timeline or budgetary allocation was disclosed in the statement released on the occasion of the national observance.
Experts warn that without swift action, the talent pipeline for sports such as athletics, hockey and wrestling could be compromised, affecting Rajasthan's performance in national competitions.