Sport is a profession that stays for a short span in the life of a professional player. Unlike any other profession, every sportsman retires earlier. On average every athlete is expected to retire in their late thirties whereas in other professions the age limit goes up to sixty or above that. Such being the situation, the government has arranged special quotas and opportunities for sportsmen by providing them fixed-job opportunities. Now a professional athlete can continue their sports career with their government job side by side. Depending on the rank and progress of the sports career of the sportsperson, he or she can decide on the job they are capable of applying for. In this article, we will discuss the various government job opportunities that an athlete can avail.
Indian Army
The Naib Subedar / Equivalent- is a post that takes direct entry of up to 2%. The athlete who wins gold has different criteria set for them by the Indian Army. But apart from that, all the other requirements remain the same for every sportsperson as it is for the other candidates.
- Army Recruiting Officers (ARO)
The athletes have to fight with the other candidates in the rally for the post. The only advantage they will get as a sports candidate is bonus marks.
- Indian Air Force
In the rank of airmen, skilled and efficient athletes are recruited, air craftsmen.
- Data Entry Havildar
2% of the sports candidate are given direct jobs for this post. Depending on the athlete’s record and efficiency they will get a direct entry without any test.
Indian army makes sure that the future of a sportsperson stays secure with these job opportunities. But there are selective sports that get entry in the defence. Sports like cricket, golf, badminton, football, tennis, etc are considered for the mentioned posts.
Ministries and Central Government
The ministries offer a 5% reserved place for athletes. They can only get placed as group C officers in a direct entry. For Group A and B, the athlete has to appear on tests with the other candidates. Direct recruitment is reserved for 43 different sports according to the central government.
Police Force
Typically, in the police force, the athlete gets direct recruitment for Group C and D categories. But there is an exception to this rule. Only when the sportsman plays remarkably well during the event can they be recruited in a higher post. In the police force, they consider 40 sports which vary in different states appropriate to get a direct entry for job opportunities.
Railways
Railways provide selected opportunities for the candidates. Like the other job profile railway also recruit sportsman in group C and D quota directly for the job with additional increment. Also, the recruitment is done based on advertisements and talent scouting. The railways provide job opportunities based on the scale of how good the player is. That is why the international standard determines the future of the sportsman based on different criteria. The international category includes categories A, B, and C. A good player can easily continue with their sports through railways.
Central Armed Forces
Central armed forces in India include BSF, SSB, AR, NSG, CISF recruits’ athletes as constables in the sports quota. A total of 5% reserved sports are available for the sportsman man with additional increment.
Sports schools in India train young athletes based on their talent. Other than that, they are also taught about all these career options they can get as a sportsperson. Based on this knowledge budding athletes can plan their future without compromising their sports careers.