JAIPUR, Oct. 6 -- Rajasthan has produced Olympians and Asian Games medallists, but for many sportspersons from the state, the journey to the national and international stage remains arduous because of shortages of specialised coaches and quality training facilities. The state has produced Asian Games medallists such as Sriram Singh and Krishna Poonia, while Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver at the 2004 Olympics. Successful Paralympians, including Devendra Jhajharia, Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal and Sundar Singh Gurjar, have also come from Rajasthan. Experts and stakeholders, however, say gaps in coaching and infrastructure continue to limit the talent pool. Rajasthan has more than 20 sports academies under the Rajasthan State Sports Council and more than 40 sports associations representing different disciplines. Yet athletes seeking elite-level training often have to leave the state. "The ecosystem needed to nurture that talent over several years - from grassroots identification and coaching to sports science, competition exposure, rehabilitation and financial support - is still not in place," said Virendra Poonia, chief sports officer at the Rajasthan Sports Council. "We have 65 permanent coaches currently whereas the need is for over 1,000 coaches, if we want to train world-class athletes," Poonia said. He added that coaches had not been recruited for several disciplines for years, while retirements had widened the gap. Sports secretary Rajkesh Meena said the government plans to hire 140 permanent coaches and has issued applications for 700 part-time coaches. Asian Games gold medallist archer Rajat Chauhan, 31, who now works in the Rajasthan Police, said even reaching state level can be difficult for young athletes. "While training in government facilities is free, the lack of coaches often means the athlete has to take private coaching which is costly. Also, they have to invest in equipment which is expensive," he said. When part-time coaching contracts expire, athletes can face gaps in training. "Often children in districts where there are no coaches turn to YouTube to learn on their own. I too have done that. But that increases chances of injury," Chauhan said. Swimmer Firdoush Kayamkhani's experience illustrates the problem. She began swimming at five, represented Rajasthan at the national level and later represented India at the 2023 World University Games. "I was lucky to get trained at the Sports Authority of India academy in Delhi. Rajasthan has a huge shortage of coaches who can train top-class athletes. Also, there is only one all-weather pool at SMS stadium in Jaipur," said the 25-year-old, who now coaches swimmers in Bhubaneswar. "All my compatriots who wanted to excel in their sport had to move out of Rajasthan to get elite-level training," she said. Anil Vyas, president of the Rajasthan Swimming Association, said only two or three lanes at the SMS pool are available free to state-level athletes for 45 minutes a day, while others have to pay. "If you want world class athletes you have to train them for 3-4 hours daily. They need a dedicated pool where they can train at no cost," he said. Badminton faces a similar challenge. Rajasthan Badminton Association president KK Sharma said talented players often travel to Bengaluru or Hyderabad after reaching a certain level because they lack opportunities for specialised training in the state. The shortage extends to grounds and other facilities. Dilip Singh Shekhawat, secretary of the Rajasthan Football Association, said the state has only three football coaches and lacks adequate grounds. "Jaipur has one national-level ground in Vidyadhar Nagar. They have started charging for practice. And there are no floodlights, so players can't play in the evening," he said. Former middle-distance runner Gopal Saini, who represented India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, said Rajasthan should identify eight to 10 disciplines in which it has an established strength and concentrate resources on them. "Coaches and infrastructure are the basic requirements. A good coach can be the difference between a gold medal and a miss," he said. The Sports Policy 2024 includes the 'One District-One Sport' initiative and 'Mission Olympics', under which 50 athletes are to receive top-level training. Meena said the former has been launched in all districts, while Mission Olympics is yet to begin. Sportspersons point to Odisha and Haryana as examples of states that have developed stronger sporting ecosystems. Odisha has established high-performance centres combining specialised coaching, modern equipment and sports-science support across several disciplines. Haryana has formal systems of cash awards and schemes recognising sporting achievements....