Chandigarh, Sept. 16 -- Panjab University's (PU) sports department is functioning without a single regular budgeted post for coaches, relying instead on contractual appointments across multiple disciplines. While the university has consistently recruited coaches on a contract basis for sports ranging from swimming and football to athletics, wrestling, boxing, shooting and badminton, it has not created a permanent coaching cadre, raising concerns over continuity in athlete training and long-term sports development.

Director of sports, PU, Rakesh Malik told Hindustan Times that the department does not have any sanctioned budgeted posts for coaches. At present, only two women coaches-handling weightlifting and archery-are working in the dep...