Indian football coaches come under one roof

An administrative body aimed to provide a platform for the welfare of Indian coaches has been launched.

The Association of Indian Football Coaches was launched in Mumbai on Wednesday, with the recognition from the All India Football Association.

“We are starting this to help the coaches with the support of the AIFF. It’s not a union and we will work with the AIFF,” said one of its directors and AFC A license coach Dinesh Nair at a media conference.

Nair is also the head of the youth and grassroots development wing of the Indian Super League outfit Mumbai City FC.

“It’s important for everyone to work together as we want to develop more coaches. Our aim was to develop 6,500 coaches from the 2014 level of 1,200.

Now in the next five years we want to make it 65,000 coaches as football is growing rapidly in India,” AIFF’s chief operating officer Kishor Taid said.

Apart from Nair, its board of directors comprises former India captain I. M. Vijayan, exinternational Derrick Pereira, Sanjoy Sen and Thangboi Singto.

Singto, the assistant coach and technical director of ISL side Kerala Blasters, said while a lot of progress has been made in developing football coaches in the country, it is also a fact that “we need to do a lot more”.

Former international and AIFF’s head of coach education, Savio Medeira, described it as a “great initiative” and wished the new body success “for long and healthy association with all Indian coaches.”

AIFC’s aim is also to work with the AIFF and “assist in conducting AFC coaching license, refresher courses and work for coach education, helping in players’ development in leagues and grassroots tournaments.”