Bengaluru, Sep 29 : The Sports Authority of India (SAI) decorated its prominent coaches and athletes with special promotions for their outstanding contributions in the country’s unprecedented success at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Those promoted included Rani Rampal, Captain of the women’s hockey team, who was promoted from Coach (Pay level 10) to Senior Coach (Pay level 11), Peeyush Kumar Dubey, Coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, from Coach (Pay level 10) to Senior Coach (Pay level 11).
Others promoted are Savita, the goalkeeper of the Indian women’s team, from Assistant Coach (Pay level 6) to Coach (Pay level 10), Sharad Kumar, High jumper, from Assistant Coach (Pay level 6) to Coach (Pay level 10) and Mariyappan Thangavelu, Paralympic high jumper from Senior Coach (Pay level 11) to Chief Coach (Pay level 12).
Dubey, who joined the SAI in 2014, while thanking the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and the SAI said: “It is a big encouragement indeed that my department has recognized my work and rewarded me. I feel highly motivated by this gesture and at the same time have a sense of greater responsibility.”
Sharad, the Paralympian while reacting to his promotion said, “It shall be a shot in the arm for me and all the coaches working in the SAI. I am grateful to my department and especially to the
Hon’ble Minister for this promotion.”
Mariyappan Thangavelu, who joined SAI in 2018, expressed his deep sense of gratitude to Mr Thakur for continuously boosting the morale of the athletes and the coaches.
“Highly motivated with this gesture, I look forward to strive harder and bring more glory to the nation in the times to come,” said the high jumper.
Savita, who hails from Sirsa district of Haryana and is currently posted with the National Hockey Academy in New Delhi also expressed her deep sense of satisfaction on being recognized by her department.
“The biggest recognition is one that comes from your own department and I am so thankful to SAI and Mr Thakur for this out of turn promotion, which is highly motivating and means a lot to me,” she said.
It is pertinent to mention that all these coaches and athletes had undergone a prolonged training camp prior to their participation in the Tokyo Olympics at SAI, Bengaluru.(UNI)