Union MoS Raksha Khadse Calls for Stronger Pathways for Women in Indian Sports at All-Women Coaches Course

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse addressed the All-Women Coaches Course under the All India Tennis Association’s (AITA) ACE 2032 initiative at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) Tennis Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. She emphasised the need to expand opportunities for women across sports, from grassroots participation and coaching to high-performance competition and leadership.

The event was attended by Rohit Rajpal, President, DLTA; Kawaljeet Singh, Director of Coaching, AITA; Ashutosh Singh, Davis Cup Coach; Sunder Iyer, Secretary, AITA; Dinesh Arora, Treasurer, AITA; and Coach Radhika Kanitkar, associated with the BKJC Cup. Coaches and sporting professionals also shared perspectives on strengthening coach education, grassroots tennis and athlete development.

A key focus of the course was increasing the number of qualified women coaches and expanding access to coaching education and certification across states. Greater representation of women in coaching can help encourage girls to participate in sports while strengthening the quality and reach of athlete development.

Preeti Srinivasan from Tamil Nadu highlighted the importance of focused coaching attention and grassroots tennis development. Marnu Riba from Arunachal Pradesh emphasised holistic player development and the importance of ensuring that athletes enjoy the sport as they build their abilities. Harjot Kaur from Jammu and Kashmir stressed the need to make Level One fitness programmes more comprehensive, particularly for beginners.(UPDATED ON 24TH OCTOBER 2026)