"We don't have any system for grooming top players and putting them into coaching" - Former badminton player turned coach Parupalli Kashyap 

Parupalli Kashyap, one of India’s most distinguished badminton players turned coach, is now grooming the next generation of players. Through his years of experience, the former Commonwealth Games gold medalist has gained a wealth of knowledge.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Kashyap opened up about the lack of a proper coaching system in India, especially for grooming top players into coaches. He also spoke about the disparity in pay among Indian and foreign coaches and how that has led to several Indians going abroad for better opportunities.

Parupalli Kashyap, in his decades of experience in the sport, especially as a former player, hasn’t seen a change in the coaching setup in the country. He lamented the lack of a structured approach to grooming top players into coaches.

“Our system of coaching has to develop," Kashyap said. "We don't have any system for grooming top players and putting them into coaching. So as a coaching system, we are a failed team, for sure.”

“It's just trying to be a little harsh there, but the fact of the matter is that after Gopi Sir, where are the coaches? Who are the coaches? Why haven't we developed a system? Why are you expecting another coach to be as passionate as Gopi Sir? I am, I know. But one person, the numbers we have in India, one is not enough,” he added.

Furthermore, Parupalli Kashyap raised pertinent questions about the absence of former players in the current coaching system. He wonders why the likes of Chetan Anand, Arvind Bhat, and Anup Sridhar, his seniors, haven't been integrated into the national coaching setup.

Their absence in the national coaching setup represents a missed opportunity to leverage their expertise and experience for the betterment of Indian badminton.

“The previous generation also in 2007, 2008, 2009, when Chetan was there, Arvind was there, Anup was there; these were my seniors. Why aren't they with the national team? Why was it only Gopi Sir? That is the question. Obviously, nothing has been offered to them, and it was not even a thought.

“They developed their own academies; they are doing their own thing, but no one is actually working for the national team. Is that going to help? That is the only way. There is no help. That is the only way,” he went on to add.

Drawing parallels with badminton powerhouses like China, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia, Kashyap highlighted the importance of player development, especially the need for a comprehensive approach that not only focuses on grooming athletes for success on the court but also provides avenues for career transition post-retirement.

“That is what the system is in China, in Korea, in Japan, in Indonesia, everywhere. They churn out these top players into coaches. They are put into that system.

“They are paid handsomely, which is the most important factor, so that they are motivated to do that job, and they have been given a particular agenda or a goal to achieve in the next two years,” the former Commonwealth Games medalist commented.

Parupalli Kashyap also pointed out that the impending retirement of the current crop of players begs the question: What comes next?

Without a structured pathway for transitioning athletes into coaching roles, India risks losing out on a valuable resource—the wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated by its top athletes over the years.

“This next set of players are also going to retire soon, in two, three years, maybe four years. After that, is there a system in place?” he asked.

“No one asked me in the last two years of my career, do you want to come into coaching? I have come into it with my own passion.”

Moreover, he said that not everyone shares the same passion or aspirations for coaching. While some athletes may be driven by a burning desire to give back to the sport and see India excel on the world stage, others may have different priorities or interests.

“Why are you expecting everyone to do that?" he continued. "Everyone has their own [goals] I am sorted financially; okay, I achieved something; I made some money; I am fine. That is not my goal. I am pure passion; I want to do something in sports. I want India to dominate the world circuit. This is my thought. Why should everyone have that same thought?”

In light of these observations, Kashyap advocated for a shift in how coaching opportunities are presented and pursued.

“Put them into coaching and demand something from them, and then they will do it, and pay them properly,” he said.

Kashyap gave another important reason for making sure India’s top players become coaches, and the same cycle continues. India is at a point where it has a lot of players playing at a high level but not enough coaches of that caliber to groom them.

“I can't manage 50 players; I can manage 10 players, 15 players. But we have 50 players. So I have to not care for the other 35, unfortunately. I'm going to pick whoever is going to give me a result, and then I'm going to do it."

"Then the 16th guy will think I'm biased, right? What can you do? The system is like that. And you never know, the 16th guy can become world number one in two years. Possible. So that's why we need more coaches, because we have more numbers as a country, and then we have to be,” the 37-year-old said.

Unlike a conventional 9-to-5 job, coaching is a 24-hour commitment that involves not just technical instruction but also psychological and emotional support for players. Drawing from his own experiences under Gopi sir, Kashyap emphasized the profound impact a coach can have on shaping the careers and lives of athletes.

Kashyap also advocated for coaches to be accorded the respect and compensation they deserve. The rigors of the job, which often entail sacrificing personal time and family commitments, necessitate proper remuneration and support from sports authorities.

Without adequate compensation and recognition, it becomes increasingly challenging to attract and retain top coaching talent, thereby hindering the development of players and the sport as a whole.

“It should make some sense to do the job, and because it's not a corporate job, 9-to-5 job. It's not like a 2-hour job, 4-hour job, 6-hour job. It's a 24-hour job. You're handling the careers of players. You have to get inside their head, and you have to understand them, you have to groom them into champions. It's not easy. Gopi sir did that with us.”

“And if I have to do something, I have to make a champion out of a player. I have to do that. I'm willing to do that. So it's what I demand. You're asking what you're asking them to do. Compensation has to be done in a proper way. You can't expect a 24-hour job, leaving families, and everything else is there. So these things have to be managed. Coaches have to be given super importance,” he added.

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"How can the US offer more money than India, where India is doing exceptionally well in badminton?" - Parupalli Kashyap questions why top Indian coaches are leaving the country

In the last year, several top Indian players and coaches have shifted base to the USA to pursue more lucrative opportunities. A major reason for this shift is the lack of compensation and the disparity in remuneration between Indian and foreign coaches.

Kashyap candidly highlighted the troubling trend, where talented coaches, both Indian and foreign, are being lured away by better financial prospects abroad. The recent departure of Sai Praneeth, Mohammed Siyadath Ullah, and Shlok Ramchandran to the USA serves as a stark example of this phenomenon.

Despite India's success in badminton, the allure of better pay and opportunities overseas is extremely concerning.

“With respect to the coaching aspect, now Sai Praneeth has gone to the USA. Many have taken the US route. I'm not expecting anything from the Indian team, nothing from the government, nothing from anybody.”

“These guys who have gone to the US are expecting money. So, they have gone. Otherwise, I don't know what reasons you have to not hire them as Indian coaches. If you pay them properly, everyone will be part of the system. You have to understand that in badminton, the coach is the most important guy. He will develop players. Players are not going to develop on their own. And then you have very few top-level players who can become coaches. You find them out,” Kashyap said.

He also said the root of the problem lies in the inadequate compensation afforded to coaches in India. He points out that coaching is a demanding and crucial aspect of player development, yet coaches often find themselves undervalued and underpaid.

This creates a situation where talented individuals, both players-turned-coaches and experienced mentors, are forced to seek greener pastures elsewhere in pursuit of financial stability.

“Sai Praneeth is going to the US. Why is he going to the US? Why are you sending him to the US? Good money. Yeah, so why can't we offer it? How can the US offer more money than India, where India is doing exceptionally well in badminton? He should be part of the system.” Kashyap added.

The disparity in remuneration between Indian and foreign coaches is particularly glaring. While substantial sums are allocated to hiring foreign expertise, top-level Indian coaches are often left to make do with meager salaries in comparison.

“I don't know what's happening. They have a lot of foreign coaches. It's very strange. You're willing to give 10 lakhs to a foreign coach; you're probably giving a lakh to a top-level Indian coach. It's very strange. That's why you'll find the next batch of players going to the US or Australia. You'll find all these top players will go from here."

"Which I don't find fault with that. They should take care of themselves. Then only you're going to be happy, right? You don't want unhappy coaches. You don't want that. That is the worst thing. Forget passion. That is the worst thing,” he concluded.