SAI Research Associate and Yoga Trainer Recruitment 2026

SAI Research Associate and Yoga Trainer Recruitment 2026: Overview

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is hiring project staff through its Sports Science Division (formerly the National Centre for Sports Science and Research, NCSSR), under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The posts sit inside an HRDS-funded research project titled "Role of Yoga Protocol on Faster Recovery and Performance Boosting in Elite Senior Hockey Athletes". All the work is about one question: can a structured yoga routine help top hockey players recover faster and play better?

This is a contractual project engagement that lasts only as long as the project does. The big draw is direct work with elite senior hockey athletes, coaches and the SAI research team, which is rare experience for anyone building a career in sports science or yoga therapy.

Posts and Disciplines

• Research Associate: the senior research role, meant for postgraduates in Sports Science, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Yoga or an allied field. SAI prefers people who have worked on yoga intervention studies, athlete testing, SPSS-based analysis or clinical studies.
• Research Assistant (Yoga): a yoga-focused research role for holders of a Master's in Yoga, or any relevant Master's plus a recognised yoga certification such as YCB Level 2 or a PG Diploma in Yoga.
• Yoga Trainer: the hands-on coaching role for Diploma in Yoga holders. Experience training athletes, teams or sportspersons gives you an edge.

Post-wise Duties

Research Associate

You will be the Principal Investigator's main support. You will collect data, assess athletes and run statistical analysis. You will also coordinate with the hockey players, coaches, SAI centres and officials, and keep the project records and progress reports up to date.

Research Assistant (Yoga)

You will help put the approved yoga intervention protocol into practice. You will track attendance, adherence and progress, help with recovery monitoring and performance testing, and support the data work and research reports.

Yoga Trainer

You will lead supervised yoga sessions for elite hockey athletes, covering asana, pranayama, relaxation, mindfulness and recovery modules set out in the protocol. You will keep sessions safe and disciplined and maintain training logs for every session.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: Six months, co-terminus with the project. The contract ends automatically when the approved project period is over, unless it is extended with approval.
• No regular job claim: The engagement gives no right to regular or permanent employment in SAI or any other organisation.
• Exit terms: Either side can end the contract with 30 days' notice or one month's pay instead. Misconduct, negligence or unauthorised absence can lead to immediate termination.
• Place of work: Mainly SAI Bengaluru and SAI Bhopal, but you may be sent to a national camp, a Hockey Training Centre or any other SAI centre or project site.
• Full-time only: You cannot take up any other assignment during the contract. You may need to work split shifts, late hours or holidays without extra pay.
• Leave: Leave is granted only in unavoidable cases, with prior approval, and must not disrupt the intervention or data collection.
• Confidentiality: Project data stays confidential. Publishing or co-authoring results needs approval, and the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and CCS (Conduct) Rules apply.
• Travel: TA/DA for official tours may be allowed under the norms with prior approval.
• Jurisdiction: Any dispute goes only to courts and tribunals in New Delhi.

Application Submission Notes

Fill in the Annexure-I application form attached to the advertisement. Email it with self-attested copies of your documents to ncssr.sai@gov.in. Applications sent to any other email address or by any other mode may not be considered.

Write this subject line in your email: "Application for the post of [post name] under HRDS Research Project – Yoga & Hockey". SAI accepts applications for 20 days after the advertisement is published, and only shortlisted candidates are called. The interview may be held online or in person.

• Assist the Principal Investigator in running the yoga and hockey research project
• Collect data and assess athletes during the yoga intervention
• Conduct and supervise yoga sessions as per the approved protocol
• Keep attendance, adherence, training logs and progress records
• Help with recovery monitoring and performance testing of hockey players
• Coordinate with athletes, coaches, SAI centres and the research team
• Prepare data sheets, statistical analysis and project reports