VIDEO: Wim Koevermans press conference in Trivandrum

Indian national football team coach Wim Koevermans at a press conference in the Kerala state capital Thiruvananthapuram about Baichung Bhutia being part of the technical committee, Rob Baan's Lakshya Youth Development plans and the cooperation with the I-League clubs.

Is AIFF TD Rob Baan correct in criticizing Indian football?

Dutchman Robert 'Rob' Baan was very critical about Indian football at the FICCI GOAL 2013 convention on Friday morning, which was widely covered by the national media and surprisingly raised a few eyebrows.

If Rob Baan's statements come as a surprise to you, then these only remind me of want our former national coach Bob Houghton said about the state of Indian football in Qatar at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. This wasn't to the liking of AIFF officials, which in the end led to Bob having to leave.

I personally felt that morning that 69 year old Rob Baan is getting frustrated with the system or lack of system within Indian football. He had been brought in to prepare a roadmap which he did and has been titled 'Lakshya 2022', but there seems to be lack of funding and will to implement the very basics for improvement within Indian football.

Amongst other things Baan said about Lakshya's funding problem, "IMG-Reliance says that they are not able to generate funds but I say, if the plan is good, funds will come."

Going on he said, "There is no national team training centre, no elite academies, no budget as far as implementing the Lakshya 2022 project is concerned."

And further disgust about the situation came out when Rob Baan and later on Director of Regional Academies Scott O'Donell spoke about age cheating in the AIFF Football Festival, which is intended to be the scouting platform for young Indian talent for the AIFF Regional Academies besides an Under-12 Elite Academy, which could be the core team for the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, if India is given the right to host it.

We all know that all is not good within Indian football, but as things stand today we can only hope it gets better in the years to come...

Raymond Verheijen: Everything has to be football related

Raymond Verheijen is someone high profile in football. If you just look at the names (both Players and Coaches) he has worked with, you are to be in awe. And then when you get a chance to interact with him, you perhaps, won't find any better word than: 'Respect'. It's not without reason that the Cream of World Football call him up regularly to discuss at length their fitness schedule.

Raymond, over the years, has worked with the likes of Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat, Frank Rijkaard amongst others and has been the former Advisor of Periodisation of clubs like FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC, Manchester City, etc.

A close friend of the AIFF's Technical Director Robert Baan, Raymond was in the Capital to conduct a three-day Conditioning Conference for Football Coaches. At the end of the course, in an exclusive interview to AIFF Media, Raymond shared his 'simple' outlook apart from educating all about Periodisation and spoke about his thoughts about Coaches and Indian football as a whole, and much more.


You started off the Conference stressing on a 'football language' and being in the 'football world'. Kindly elaborate.

What I always do is before you can talk about Conditioning, you should first talk about football. Everything has to be related to football. First you have to determine the structure and language you will use. What I did was a philosophical introduction, analysing football, explaining to the people that football is a simple game.

A lot of coaches are already speaking the football language but the problem stays that a lot of experts who hail from outside from outside the football world speak a non-football language thus, polluting the football world. They are either using different words with the same meaning or using same words with different meaning!

That's confusing. The Football Language I am preaching is based on facts, and not opinions. It is objective and universal.


How did you inculcate the football language among the participants?

I showed the participants (through theory and practical sessions) how to develop a universal and objective philosophy. Very often in such a course there are too many opinions. As a coach I want to know facts -- information of which I know which if I apply in my own situation, will work rather than copying subjective opinion.

That is the problem. People boast about what they won five years ago. It's all very subjective.

My point is there must be a language without confusion and a structure without confusion. I spoke Dutch quite often with the Coaches, using it as a metaphor. You understand. If I coming in India speak my language you've got a problem.

From the fitness training point of view, you have to get rid of aerobic and anaerobic stuff, and rather speak sustaining football for ninety minutes. To do that you don’t need to speak those tough languages. Terms like maximum explosive action, and actions per minute are better off in the football world.


How was the response?

You can see it for yourself. They are all conversing in the football language now. They belong to the football world. It's really heartening to see that most of the Coaches here are Head Coaches of their concerned clubs. Generally in such seminars, you find next generation coaches. The Head Coach thinks he is too superior and knows it all. But I am overwhelmed by the response here.

Moreover, all the 35 odd participants were willing to learn. They want to move forward, that's why they are here. I am happy that Head Coaches have picked up so much and now hopefully will implement them for the betterment of Indian football.

In the last session of the final day, while conversing with them (coaches) informally, I could see that they were speaking the football language. That was so heartening to see. It's difficult to make the honchos change their practice, but at the grassroot level, where I believe India are focusing right now under the tutelage of my close friend Robert Baan, you change bring in that philosophy.


How much of an idea did you have about Indian football before coming here and how is it now after spending three days?

I was told about the number of injuries which were occurring. Injury prevention methods are not in place. In football the most important thing is decision making. Now in India, if you constantly nag about the problems, you're not moving forward and doing any good. You need to find a solution and for that to happen, you have to change – everyone. You need to have the right kind of expertise and make it happen. If you keep on saying that we don't have this and we don't have that, it will never happen.

Now, look at the positive side. Mr. Wim Koevermans sent his fitness trainer Mr. Pradeep Dutta to attend this course, that too at a time when the National Preparatory camp is going on in Pune for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Now he will pass on this knowledge he has got from this course to the National Team players. That will perhaps bring the change, gradually.


(Interview & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)

Rob Baan: We are preaching the same religion

In the span of 24 hours, the 'Cup of Tea' – between the two morning sessions of the Conditioning Conference for Football Coaches – tasted so much better for all the 33 participating Coaches.

Till Tuesday morning - the opening day of the three-day meet being conducted by renowned Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen, the participants, which include I-League Coaches, All India Football Federation contracted coaches and few other tacticians from outside, the 'football world' and its 'language' was alien to them.

"The first impression of Mr Raymond Verheijen was of a man who means serious business. We all thought this is going to be tough three days for us. But as the first day progressed, and he introduced us to the world of football where one should always speak in football language and not technicalities; it was like enlightenment of the highest order," Derrick Pereira, coach of Pune FC quipped, sipping a cup of tea.

"I feel a different person now, with a different outlook. I feel abreast and so enlightened. I have learnt a lot so far and will translate this knowledge to my boys back in Pune when we resume next month. I sincerely thank the AIFF for this endeavour. This is so enriching," he added.

Minutes earlier, Verheijen, who has the experience of working with the likes of Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Frank Rijkaard, was talking about how a coach needs to be a role model in order to preach the football language which is difficult at the outset.

"As a coach you need to be a role model. You need to be dynamic. Take decision on its merit and not by being presumptuous and predetermined. To be able to preach the football language, which is let me tell you a difficult job to do, you need to be uninhibited," Raymond had stressed.

"You are not wrong, always remember that. You are on the right side of the argument. You are here to learn the football language and not blabber aerobic and anaerobic while teaching fitness exercises or conditioning as a whole," he added, sternly.

Sporting Clube de Goa coach Oscar Bruzon who was standing next to Pereira while the latter was all praise for the Dutchman, added, "Raymond is truly World Class. You realise that in every step. His approach and the way he makes things simple is in itself a testimony to his genius. This has been an extremely educative Course for me. I will do the four against four and eight against eight training to improve my players' action per minute. That is immensely helpful. I keenly observed the practical sessions and picked up so much," Bruzon prophesied.

AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan said that it is heartening to see that the same philosophy is being taught by Verheijen over the three days to all the Coaches. "We are preaching the same religion. Like for example, static stretching is something we don't teach to our kids at the Academies," Baan opined.

"Raymond is of the same opinion that dynamic stretching is much more effective than static stretching. My thoughts are on similar lines with Raymond and I am glad to bring him here. All our (AIFF Contracted) coaches and I league coaches will learn so much from here. I am sure Pradip Dutta, fitness instructor of the Indian National Team will pass on the knowledge to our National team players as well," Baan added.

Dutta nodded with a confident smile. "Raymond makes life so simple for a Coach. These technical terms are done away with but the essence of fitness training and conditioning is never compromised, not an inch. This is just amazing. The way he teaches recovery process and actions per minute are simply world class. I will go out of the conference to the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers, a much more confident fitness trainer."

Scott O'Donnell, Director Academies and Coach Education, echoed Baan's sentiments. "This is fantastic for our Coaches of the Academies. They are now up to date with the latest conditioning methods. They’ll teach this to our colts," he maintained.

ONGC Coach Santosh Kashyap concluded by saying that, "The timing is just perfect for the Conditioning Course to take place. We have a break now in the I-league and before entering the final phase, such a novel Course will do wonders. In the long run also, such a high profile personality from the football world is coming to India and teaching us is very good. This will be go a long way in improving the standard of Coaching in India, especially their vision."

FICCI GOAL 2013: Me moderating session on Joining the dots of AIFF Lakshya 2022 & IMG-RIL 2026 Vision

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) will organise its first-ever FICCI GOAL 2013 - India Football, which will be an International Convention on Football Business later this week on February 14/15 at Federation House on Tansen Marg in New Delhi.

I have been asked to moderate another session, the fourth panel which will be happening on Friday morning titled 'Joining the dots of AIFF Lakshya 2022 & IMG-RIL 2026 Vision'. And I really look forward to it as we will discuss the roadmap of football development in India.

The brief about the session says, "Two of the most critical stakeholders in the development of football in India are AIFF and IMG RIL. Both organizations have created master plans, entitled Lakshya 2022 and Vision 2026 respectively, which map out the future of the sport in the country. Representatives from both groups will be sharing their plans with convention delegates."

The participants of the panel will be AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan and Priti Srivastava from Reliance Industries representing IMG-Reliance.


Other Sessions over the two days will include a wide range of topics concerning Indian football. Here an overview

- Football in Asia: Opportunities for India with focus on youth development

- Reconceptualizing of Indian League system: Club vs City Franchisee

- Football Stadia: Sustenance and Legacy of 'White Elephant'

- Strategy of acquisition and successful executive of 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India

- A focused session on Success Stories in Indian football


To register for the event go to: http://www.ficci.com/events-page.asp?evid=21288 .

Times Now VIDEO: Big step forward for Indian football

Here a report from Times Now on the five-day coaching seminar organised by the All India Football Federation, which has come in for praise from the participating coaches and instructors who found it quite useful.

AIFF Coaching Seminar concludes with Football Festival

Friday morning just couldn't have been brighter though dark clouds were overhead and the monsoon rains came down once in a while. But the weather failed to the dampen the spirits of the 60 kids aged 6-12 who had come over for the Football Festival at the Father Agnel School Ground in Navi Mumbai. The kids got drenched in the rain; the parents took shelter under the bright umbrellas in the galleries. None ran away. Only the kids ran with and after the ball on the turf.

"The Festival was a huge success. It was evident the kids were enjoying every bit of it. But I felt the Coaches enjoyed it more than them. It was an opportunity for the Coaches to show their personalities and behave in a practical manner," Rob Baan, the AIFF's Technical Director commented.

"It was wonderful to see a new generation enjoying themselves on the field. The challenge stays where and how do we nurture and coach them. But we will have to," Wim Koevermans, the new India National Coach opined.

Never a miser to compliment the tiny tots, the Coaches encouraged the kids as they tried to dribble, fumbled, fell down but got up immediately to recover. The 60 kids were divided into 10 teams and each of the teams got a chance to participate in each of the sessions which ranged from match to skill testing to shooting, etc.

Trisha, the sole girl among the 60 kids summed up the sentiment. "Can't we play for another ten minutes?" she queried to her coach Gautam Ghosh as the session unfolded. Every kid was presented with a football by Baan, Koevermans and Father Almeida, the Managing Director of the Father Agnel Group of Schools.

"This sort of Festival should be a part of the curriculum. We need to have ten such festivals in a week organised all over the country," said Scott O'Donell, the Technical Director of the AIFF Regional and Elite Academies.

The day also witnessed Raymond Farrelly from Coach FX making a presentation on animation analysis of various match related coaching sessions as the five-day Coaching Seminar came to an end.

"Such Seminars need to be repeated more often. We intend to organise it in every state. But the manpower and the financial aspects stay the biggest challenge," Rob Baan concluded.

Maybe the AIFF bosses are listening in the interest of Indian football.

AIFF Coaching Seminar gets positive Feedback from Participants

After getting off to a slow start the ongoing All India Football Federation Coaching Seminar in Navi Mumbai came in for praise from the participating Coaches and Instructors. The facilities at the seminar hotel, the food and the arrangements, the logistics and most importantly, the knowledge being passed on have simply bowled over the 65 participants.

Former India Captain, creative midfielder Prasanta Banerjee says, "I came here expecting value addition. Rob Baan, Wim Koevermans and Scott O'Donell are laying emphasis on building from the back. Modern football is all about looking forward. The finer aspects of 4-3-3 is being stressed upon," he says.

"The Seminar is a fantastic initiative which was long overdue," commented Pradhyum Reddy Shillong Lajong's Scottish born coach. "I only hope this is the first of many more such Seminars. There has always been a disconnect between the National Coach and the Coaches at the top level with the Club Coaches and Coaches at the development level," he adds.

"In the UK and the US, such Coaching Conventions stay common where the philosophy is taught and told and the participants become more responsible learning the finer aspects."

The Seminar which comprises of both theoretical and practical sessions is being held at the Royal Orchid Hotel in Navi Mumbai and the Father Agnel School Ground, respectively.

There's a buzz every morning. The participants look smart in their kits, sign the attendance sheet, take their seats and then the notes. "It reminds me of my school days," smiles former India winger Gautam Ghosh. "We need to be flexible to envelope the extra bit of knowledge. If you have any ego, you will not learn."

Ghosh's room partner Tanumoy Basu, a former India goalkeeper presently the Goalkeeping Coach of the India Under-22s and Pailan Arrows feels, "the Seminar reflects the positive mindset of the All India Football Federation."

"The Academies promise us the future; Pailan Arrows builds up towards the future; Seminars like this explain to us what is needed to get to the future. And mind you, all of them are being stitched in one thread. The YDP is in full flow and there's synchronisation among all. I credit and thank (Kushal) Das for his efforts," Basu maintains.

You reflect for a moment and understand Basu is right. Former National Coach Savio Medeira complements Basu. "As a Coach you need to enhance yourself and stay updated. The handbook provided is very useful indeed," he opines.

"There's no more confusion. The Technical Director has told us what he wants us to do with our clubs," Godfrey Pereira, newly appointed Air India coach and also a former India International says. "The practices need to be match centric. There can't be any static movements. You always need to move and run with the ball. There's a more realistic and definite approach. I need to thank AIFF for arranging such a seminar."

You move around. There's a team working 24x7 supervising the facilities at the Hotel, the food, the daily needs and taking care of the logistics. "I'd say here's quality all around. The clothing provided to us have been good and I appreciate the treatment and the pain taken to make us comfortable," Ajit Braich, someone who has come all the way from Canada, explains. Braich stays the Head Youth Coach at Vancouver Whitecaps.

"I have attended many such Seminars and I need to tell you the sessions have been informative. In Football you can't beat around the bush and that's what is being stressed upon. I credit the AIFF for the initiative," he comments.

Syed Shabir Pasha, also a former India International adds, "Every theory is being backed and demonstrated in the practical sessions. That's what enlightens a Coach," Pasha echoes.

Rob Baan: Promise that you will scout me a kid in 30 days!

The All India Football Federation's Technical Director Rob Baan made an emotional request to the 65 participants of the AIFF Coaching Seminar by asking them, "Promise me, all of you will come back to me within a month with a kid who you believe has the potential to play for India in the future," Baan utters. "You are my scouts. By now, you ought to know as to what kind of player I am looking for," he adds. "Can You? Promise me," Baan stresses again.

"Yes we will," the Coaches and the Instructors answer back.

"You can even give me more than one boy," Baan goes further. "We will have a trial for the kid and if we find him good enough, we will enroll him," he informed.

The Dutchman is clear that he alone cannot change Indian football and that coaches working at the grassroots have to work with him to develop Indian football and especially scout and find young talented footballers.

On the other side the age-old issue of age-fraud stays the biggest challenge for the AIFF at the moment; and at the Coaching Seminar in Navi Mumbai, the issue just makes rounds almost everyday.

"This has been prevalent for long. The State Associations need to be more serious," Colm Joseph Toal, Head Coach Youth Development, adds. "Just look what happened in the camp in Kalyani," Colm shakes his head.

With a vision to get boys for the four Regional Academies, the AIFF, had since September 2011 scouted over 170 boys from various age-group tournaments, Under-14 Fests and Open Trials which were conducted across the length and breadth of the country by Baan and Scott O'Donell, Technical Director, Regional and Elite Academies.

The selected U-14 boys were then kept in a Camp in Kalyani for over a month after which the list was filtered to a final list of 120. But when medically tested, 84 out of 120 were found overage. The Camp was for U-14 boys but some of them were found to be even over 17!

"It seems, we just need to conduct tests almost everyday," Colm shrugs. "The money went waste, the effort and energy went waste; it's so much frustrating and discouraging for the development of the sport in the country," he laments.

The result was for all to see. The launch of the AIFF Regional Academies had to be delayed. "But they stay on track. We have to have them and we will," O'Donell informs. The second AIFF Regional Academy is all set to launch in Bangalore in September 2012 and then the next one at Pailan World School in Kolkata later this year.

"Open Trials are not a realistic approach," O’Donell exclaims. "In Kolkata, we had over 1000 boys appearing for the trials. It's hard to handle that much of a lot."

Toal hits the nail on the head when he says, "It's about the honesty of individuals. Be it Coaches, be it Administrators, somewhere people stay desperate to win even at the U-14 level. But at that level, it's all about development than winning," he echoes.

AIFF's Medical Consultant Dr. Manabendra Bhattacharya who's also attending the Seminar feels 'age verification is a complicated process'.

"This is rampant across all age groups and all sports. But how do you stop it. Off-course, we can determine it by tests; tests which reveal the dental age, secondary sexual characters and the bone age," he informed.

It is a difficult task for Rob Baan. His wait continues – the Coaches are supposed to get back to him within a month.

Koevermans: Keep opposition in mind while organising a practice session

New Indian National Coach Wim Koevermans emphasized and demonstrated various match related situations both in theory and practical sessions as the AIFF Coaching Seminar gathered further shape in Navi Mumbai today.

"All practice sessions need to be organised keeping the opposition in mind. The players need to be taught and encouraged to express match related behavior while in practice," he stressed which the 65 participants took note of. "As Coaches, all of us need to develop our own concept and prepare likewise. The build-up stays the most integral part," Koevermans opined.

Koevermans who was speaking on 'How to play various systems?' often turned to the drawing board to explain what he was referring to. "The aim is to find that extra spare man in the midfield. You always have to find one – at any cost," he added, as he explained various formations and how to counter them on the field.

He backed all the theories with a practical demonstration later at the Father Agnel ground where the first AIFF Regional Academy is based.

Earlier in the day, Technical Director Rob Baan conducted another practical session – 'Skill Development -- from Technique to Tactics'.

Understanding that modern coaching needs to work hand in hand with Medical Science, there was a separate session conducted by Dr. Manabendra Bhattacharya, the AIFF's Medical Consultant. A sports medicine expert with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Bhattacharya made a presentation on 'Medical Care and treatment of Youth Players – including age verification', where he stressed monitoring of basic health parameters and emergency situations on the pitch.

He urged the coaches to be extra cautious in case of match related injuries and react immediately. "Medical Science teaches us that an off the ball collapse can lead to death within 180 seconds. So you need to react at lightning speed fast," he explained.

Dr. Bhattacharya felt extra care should be taken to immunize players and personal hygiene. "It's absurd that Indian clubs don't care about adult immunization at all. In most cases, players are contracted for an average 40 lakh on an annual basis but the clubs stay reluctant to immunize players for another Rs. 3000. In the process, the clubs lose the services of the players and football suffers," he maintained.

"Age verification is a very complicated process," he added. "It's mostly determined by secondary sexual characters, dental age and bone age, depending on the appearance and fusion of ossification centres which can be directed by X-rays and MRI tests."

He also had a detailed interactive session wherein he nullified many a false myth about women footballers.


The list of participants

Godfrey Pereira, Noushad Moosa, Kundan Chandran, Shaikh Arshad Hussain, Abdul Azim Siddique, Nirvan Shah, Aqueel Ansari, Khalid Jamil, Raghuvir Pravin Khanolkar, Augusto D'Silva, Faruk Ahmed, Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (all Maharashtra); Birbal Singh, Ekendra Singh, Bitan Singh (all Manipur); R. Thyagraj, Stanley Rozario, Thomas Joseph, John Kenneth Raj, Mastan Ahmed, P. Muralidharan (all Karnataka), Prasanta Banerjee, Gautam Ghosh (both West Bengal), Parthasarathy Thulasi, Syed Sabir Pasha, C.M. Ranjith (all Tamil Nadu); S. Geevarghese, C.J. Charles, P.M. Saji, Biby Thomas, Satheevan Balan, Feroz Sheriff, Narayana Menon (all Kerala); William Koso (Nagaland); Maymol Rocky, Marcus Anthony Pachecho, Francisco Bruto da Costa, Jude Barreto, Savio Medeira, Mario Aguiar (all Goa), Tarun Roy, Anadi Baruah (both Delhi); Sajid Yusuf, Hilal Parray (both J&K); Surinder Singh (Chandigarh)

Coaches from Clubs/Academies: Tanumoy Basu (Pailan Arrows); Bino George (Chirag United Kerala), Arun Pratap (Chirag United Kerala Academy); Deepak (Kerala FA Academy); Sujay Sharma, Arata Izumi (both Pune FC); Ahmed Aslam Khan (SAI, Bangalore); Mathew D'Costa, Gavin Araujo (both Dempo); Augustine Antao, Joaquim Crasto (both Salgaocar); Suren Chhetri, Pranai Subba (both United Sikkim FC); Richard Hood (Tata Football Academy); Manoj Kumar (SEPT, Calicut); Pradyuman Reddy (Shillong Lajong FC); Sunil Chaudhury, Cetano Pinho (both ONGC); Ajit Braich (Canada)

Colm Toal: Coaches need to differentiate between winning and development

Colm Joseph Toal, the AIFF's Head Coach Youth Development and the man who has over the last few years given India's Youth system some structure, expressed his views on the current state of National Youth Teams.

In Colm's presentation which was appreciated by all, Toal encouraged all the participants to "express their opinions".

"We need to talk and question each other. Coaching is all about opinion and nothing is correct and definite. The more the opinion, the more the ideation," Colm defined.

"It's imperative to understand the difference between winning and development," Colm further added. "At the Youth Development Programme, winning doesn't matter; but development does. You all as Coaches need to differentiate it. It's necessary to strike the balance and marry both," he maintained.

Earlier in the day, Pradip Dutta, AIFF Fitness Coach, struck a balance on the Physical Preparation of Young Players. An AFC Elite Panel Instructor, Dutta emphasized on the recovery of players, as he spoke at length about the dominant energy systems, ergo genesis, energy suppliers, limiting factors and training objectives. He also highlighted the comparison between early specialization and multilateral development and also on duration of exercises.

Significantly enough, he brought forward injury prevention techniques and a periodization model for long term strength training.

Scott O'Donell, the Technical Director of the AIFF Regional and Elite Academies, dished out the Plan for future AIFF Regional and Elite Academies. "We need to create a Nationwide scouting network to ensure we produce future World Class Players."

The practical session for the day was conducted by AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan as he demonstrated various skill training techniques at Father Agnel's Training Ground.


The list of participants

Godfrey Pereira, Noushad Moosa, Kundan Chandran, Shaikh Arshad Hussain, Abdul Azim Siddique, Nirvan Shah, Aqueel Ansari, Khalid Jamil, Raghuvir Pravin Khanolkar, Augusto D'Silva, Faruk Ahmed, Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (all Maharashtra); Birbal Singh, Ekendra Singh, Bitan Singh (all Manipur); R. Thyagraj, Stanley Rozario, Thomas Joseph, John Kenneth Raj, Mastan Ahmed, P. Muralidharan (all Karnataka), Prasanta Banerjee, Gautam Ghosh (both West Bengal), Parthasarathy Thulasi, Syed Sabir Pasha, C.M. Ranjith (all Tamil Nadu); S. Geevarghese, C.J. Charles, P.M. Saji, Biby Thomas, Satheevan Balan, Feroz Sheriff, Narayana Menon (all Kerala); William Koso (Nagaland); Maymol Rocky, Marcus Anthony Pachecho, Francisco Bruto da Costa, Jude Barreto, Savio Medeira, Mario Aguiar (all Goa), Tarun Roy, Anadi Baruah (both Delhi); Sajid Yusuf, Hilal Parray (both J&K); Surinder Singh (Chandigarh)

Coaches from Clubs/Academies: Tanumoy Basu (Pailan Arrows); Bino George (Chirag United Kerala), Arun Pratap (Chirag United Kerala Academy); Deepak (Kerala FA Academy); Sujay Sharma, Arata Izumi (both Pune FC); Ahmed Aslam Khan (SAI, Bangalore); Mathew D'Costa, Gavin Araujo (both Dempo); Augustine Antao, Joaquim Crasto (both Salgaocar); Suren Chhetri, Pranai Subba (both United Sikkim FC); Richard Hood (Tata Football Academy); Manoj Kumar (SEPT, Calicut); Pradyuman Reddy (Shillong Lajong FC); Sunil Chaudhury, Cetano Pinho (both ONGC); Ajit Braich (Canada)

AIFF Coaching Seminar kicks-off in Navi Mumbai

The first-ever AIFF Coaching Seminar kicked-off in Navi Mumbai today with 65 participants coming to listen to Technical Director Rob Baan, National Coach Wim Koevermans, Technical Director of the Regional and Elite Academies Scott O'Donell besides AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das and former India Captain Baichung Bhutia.

Amongst the 65 participants there are numerous former players around; players whom we all have adored over the years. There's Prasanta Banerjee, there's Godfrey Pereira, there's Tanumoy Basu, there's Khalid Jamil, there's Syed Sabir Pasha, there's Savio Medeira, there's Aqueel Ansari, there's Noushad Moosa… the list just seems to have no end.

The aim of the Seminar is to produce better coaches and players with a 'match related approach'.

AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan conducted the first session of the Seminar, his 'Vision to develop Indian Football'. That was followed by National Coach Wim Koevermans' session in the afternoon – 'What is Football?' while Baan’s practical session, 'Coaching, the Match related Approach,' stayed the last session of the day.

The India Under-17 National squad who trains at the Centre of Excellence in Goa and has come over to Navi Mumbai to take part in the practical sessions stayed Baan's wards as the Technical Director demonstrated the 'Match Related Approach' and had interactive sessions with the Coaches.

Earlier, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das welcomed the guests and spoke on the ‘Long-term future of Indian Football', while guest speaker former India Captain Baichung Bhutia shared his experiences.

"It's imperative we all understand the future philosophy of Indian football," Das said. "The Seminar stays a significant step taken by our Technical Team as we need to look forward," he added.

"Coach Education stays perhaps the most significant aspect if we are to create an Indian style of play as we have intended," Baan stressed.

"To improve the standard of the football in the country, we need to select the best players. But prior to that, we need to train and groom them. We as Coaches stay responsible for that," O'Donell, who will be conducting both theoretical and practical sessions in the next four days, emphasized.

The theoretical sessions are being held at the Royal Orchid Hotel in Navi Mumbai while the practical sessions at the Father Agnel ground, where the first AIFF Regional Academy is based.

National Coach Wim Koevermans maintained the Seminar gives one an opportunity to 'express himself'.

"The next five-days are important. The philosophy needs to be understood by all," Koevermans, who was a part of the Dutch squad which win the 1988 European Cup, opined.

"Let's not stay stuck in the 60s and the 70s. Let's embrace the new concepts," Baichung commented. "From my experience, I have starved for the right kind of training for long. This initiative by AIFF is an excellent one. It's the right beginning," he added.


The list of participants

Godfrey Pereira, Noushad Moosa, Kundan Chandran, Shaikh Arshad Hussain, Abdul Azim Siddique, Nirvan Shah, Aqueel Ansari, Khalid Jamil, Raghuvir Pravin Khanolkar, Augusto D'Silva, Faruk Ahmed, Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (all Maharashtra); Birbal Singh, Ekendra Singh, Bitan Singh (all Manipur); R. Thyagraj, Stanley Rozario, Thomas Joseph, John Kenneth Raj, Mastan Ahmed, P. Muralidharan (all Karnataka), Prasanta Banerjee, Gautam Ghosh (both West Bengal), Parthasarathy Thulasi, Syed Sabir Pasha, C.M. Ranjith (all Tamil Nadu); S. Geevarghese, C.J. Charles, P.M. Saji, Biby Thomas, Satheevan Balan, Feroz Sheriff, Narayana Menon (all Kerala); William Koso (Nagaland); Maymol Rocky, Marcus Anthony Pachecho, Francisco Bruto da Costa, Jude Barreto, Savio Medeira, Mario Aguiar (all Goa), Tarun Roy, Anadi Baruah (both Delhi); Sajid Yusuf, Hilal Parray (both J&K); Surinder Singh (Chandigarh)

Coaches from Clubs/Academies: Tanumoy Basu (Pailan Arrows); Bino George (Chirag United Kerala), Arun Pratap (Chirag United Kerala Academy); Deepak (Kerala FA Academy); Sujay Sharma, Arata Izumi (both Pune FC); Ahmed Aslam Khan (SAI, Bangalore); Mathew D'Costa, Gavin Araujo (both Dempo); Augustine Antao, Joaquim Crasto (both Salgaocar); Suren Chhetri, Pranai Subba (both United Sikkim FC); Richard Hood (Tata Football Academy); Manoj Kumar (SEPT, Calicut); Pradyuman Reddy (Shillong Lajong FC); Sunil Chaudhury, Cetano Pinho (both ONGC); Ajit Braich (Canada)

AIFF Coaching Seminar to highlight on 'Match related' Coaching

A five-day Coaching Seminar organised by the All India Football Federation kicks-off in Navi Mumbai tomorrow. The Seminar, a first of its kind in India, will be conducted by AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan, National Coach Wim Koevermans and Scott O'Donell, Technical Director of the Regional and Elite Academies.

Colm Joseph Toal, Head Coach, Youth Development will also be expressing his views at the Seminar, while former India captain Baichung Bhutia will be a guest speaker as will be the AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das. Raymond Farrelly of Coach FX will also attend as a Guest Speaker.

65 Coaches from all over India including AIFF Contracted Coaches and Coaches from I-League Clubs have confirmed their participation. The Seminar intends to educate and produce better Coaches and players via "match related" coaching.

Baan feels it will be "nice to interact with so many Coaches in the Seminar."

"I look forward to receiving inputs from all of them," Baan added.

The opening day kicks-off with Kushal Das dishing out plans for the long term future of Indian football with Baan and Koevermans conducting sessions on 'Overall vision to improve Indian Football' and "What is football?," respectively while Bhutia stays the guest speaker. In the afternoon, Baan and O’Donell would also be conducting the theoretical session, 'Coaching, the match related approach.'

The theoretical sessions would be held at the Royal Orchid Hotel while the practical sessions will be conducted at the Father Agnel School ground where the first AIFF Regional Academy is located.


The list of participants

Godfrey Pereira, Noushad Moosa, Kundan Chandran, Shaikh Arshad Hussain, Abdul Azim Siddique, Nirvan Shah, Aqueel Ansari, Khalid Jamil, Raghuvir Pravin Khanolkar, Augusto D'Silva, Faruk Ahmed, Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (all Maharashtra); Birbal Singh, Ekendra Singh, Bitan Singh (all Manipur); R. Thyagraj, Stanley Rozario, Thomas Joseph, John Kenneth Raj, Mastan Ahmed, P. Muralidharan (all Karnataka), Prasanta Banerjee, Gautam Ghosh (both West Bengal), Parthasarathy Thulasi, Syed Sabir Pasha, CM Ranjith (all Tamil Nadu); S. Geevarghese, C.J. Charles, P.M. Saji, Biby Thomas, Satheevan Balan, Feroz Sheriff, Narayana Menon (all Kerala); William Koso (Nagaland); Maymol Rocky, Marcus Pachecho, Francisco Bruto da Costa, Jude Barreto, Savio Medeira, Mario Aguiar (all Goa), Tarun Roy, Anadi Baruah (both Delhi); Sajid Yusuf, Hilal Parray (both J&K); Surinder Singh (Chandigarh)

Coaches from Clubs/Academies: Tanumoy Basu (Pailan Arrows); Bino George (Chirag United Kerala), Arun Pratap (Chirag United Kerala Academy); Deepak (Kerala FA Academy); Sujay Sharma, Arata Izumi (both Pune FC); Ahmed Aslam Khan (SAI, Bangalore); Mathew D'Costa, Gavin Araujo (both Dempo); Augustine Antao, Joaquim Crasto (both Salgaocar); Suren Chhetri, Pranai Subba (both United Sikkim FC); Richard Hood (Tata Football Academy); Manoj Kumar (SEPT, Calicut); Pradyuman Reddy (Shillong Lajong FC); Sunil Chaudhury, Cetano Pinho (both ONGC); Ajit Braich (Canada)

Five-day AIFF Coaching Seminar to be held from July 16

The All India Football Federation will be organising a five-day Coaching Seminar in Navi Mumbai from July 16 to 20. The AIFF's Technical Director Rob Baan; National Coach Wim Koevermans; the Technical Director of the Regional and Elite Academies Scott O'Donell, Head Coach of the Youth Development programme Colm Joseph Toal will be addressing the Seminar.

The Opening day will also have former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia as a Guest Speaker and the AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das will be addressing the gathering on the long-term future of Indian football.

"We have invited around 70 coaches for the seminar including all the Coaches from all the I-League Clubs and all AIFF Contracted Coaches," Kushal Das informed.

"The Seminar gives us the opportunity to exchange knowledge and discuss our new vision for the future development of Indian football," said AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan. "We also hope the coaches will provide us a lot of inputs," Baan added.

Baan, Koevermans and O'Donell would also be imparting practical session classes to the participants. The theoretical sessions would be held at the Royal Orchid Hotel in Navi Mumbai while the Practical Sessions would be conducted at the Father Agnel School Ground in Navi Mumbai where the AIFF's First Regional Academy has been set-up.

"This is the first major Coaching Clinic organised by AIFF's Technical Team. It will showcase the new philosophy which is being implemented in Indian football in terms of Coach Education, style of play and talent development," Kushal Das maintained.

"I'm sure the Seminar would unearth some exciting young concepts which will serve Indian football in good stead in the future."

There would also be separate sessions conducted by Dr. Manabendra Bhattacharya on Medical Care and Treatment of youth players (including age verification) and one by Pradip Dutta on Physical Preparation of young players.

Wim Koevermans: Some elements have been promising indeed

The new India senior national team coach Wim Koevermans, Technical Director Rob Baan and AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das were all at yesterday's India U-22 vs UAE U-22 match in the AFC Under-22 Asian Championship qualifiers. At a training session in Muscat there was a chance for Koevermans to met India's U-22 boys for the first time and it was a special moment for them. A day later, Koevermans and Baan spoke at length about India's performance against United Arab Emirates, the coaching philosophy, discipline and a lot more.


You watched India take on United Arab Emirates in the AFC U-22 Championship qualifiers. What was been your impression?

Koevermans: I am quite pleased with the manner things were conducted on the pitch. Obviously, there are areas of improvement. But one needs to remember that the performance came against a strong side as United Arab Emirates. We had our moments on the field and could have won it. There were some elements which are very promising indeed.

Rob Baan, sitting next, nodded & added: It was heartening to see that boys were focused all throughout. They were passionate to play for their country, though I must admit that the passion at times, was disturbing the tactics a bit. Baan smiled, so did Wim.


What was your perception of Indian football prior to taking over?

There were some similarities in the style of play with Ireland, the last Nation I worked in. But at the International level, the game has changed vastly and we need to implement the same to keep ourselves updated. We need to get accustomed fast and try to develop with a young set of boys.


It was only 16 days of practice that the Under-22 squad had under Arthur Papas prior to coming over to Oman. Are you impressed the manner the boys have settled down to the new style of play?

The new style and discipline will take time. There will have to be changes and it always takes time. So we just can't afford to hurry at the moment. Let's be patient and the difference will be evident.


You will be officially taking charge from July 1 and the 2012 Nehru Cup will be your first assignment. What will your plans stay for the Nehru Cup?

It's too early to comment on that at the moment. I have some meeting lined up in the first week of July and only after that will I be in a position to dish it out.


With Rob Baan having seen earlier Indian teams from close, it stayed imperative we got his view on the discipline within the squad. Hence he was asked

In such a Championship, how much of a role does discipline play off the field?

It's an unbreakable part. There can be no success without discipline. Look at the Dutch squad as an example. The players need to listen, take proper rest, sleep and at the right time and have common goal. Only then can you think of success. If you don’t have the discipline, the results will be damaging.

Arthur Papas: Much like the Aussies, Indians are fighters

"I had my doubts before coming here. But within three weeks I have been proved wrong. Much like the Australians, the Indians are a fighting lot," commented India U-22 coach Arthur Papas. "I'm happy to be proved wrong. India is a land of fighters. It's in the culture. I salute my boys the manner they keep fighting till the final whistle," Papas paid his tribute. This Papas said on Thursday evening after India's 1-1 draw against the United Arab Emirates.

Friday's morning sun shines bright in Muscat. The plan stays to look forward or rather, as Papas puts it, "to sustain the momentum." There's no messing around. The support staff takes care of the bruises and the players have already started to believe. The training sessions are no more dull, the team meetings, no more yawning. There's no waste of time – the Team Hotel looks a different Universe. Co-ordinated movement on and off the field has sunk early talks of a 'fluke' result. The thrill of a triumph in Footballing Philosophy – making stronger Nations cornered and getting them fearful, adds to the thrill of Papas' boys. But therein lies the danger.

"Turkmenistan stay a danger game for us," Papas tells you. "Basking in past results is what good teams can't afford. If we are starting to rebuild ourselves, we too need to walk the path."

National Coach Wim Koevermans and Technical Director Rob Baan come over and both encourage the boys for their fighting spirit. For a bunch where the average age stays around 20, earning a headline stays a dream for all. And for them, Wim stays the key to a headline – earning a spot in the National Team Camp by impressing him.

Alwyn George makes a comeback for the Turkmenistan match while Pranay Halder sits out, courtesy a double booking. "Alwyn's availability will give us more options. We need to plan carefully," Papas maintains, even as almost everyone in the Camp may have overheard him whispering notes about the Turkmenistan match to himself, almost immediately after the UAE match final whistle.

Papas is an honest guy. Not to deny there's certain bit of childishness about him. He jumps in joy when his team scores and when the dressing room is small, he prefers to climb a chair for everyone to see him clear. But he teaches well and makes his wards think big.

His philosophy has sort of re-invented Lalrindika Ralte. Papas insists, and Ralte goes beyond. Manandeep Singh stays a different flavour under Papas; Souvik Ghosh and Prathamaesh Maulingkar, a different mountain. Papas is not a stereotype; instead he stays someone who is willing to put all to test and fight against the pain to achieve.

With four points from three matches so far, most would be tempted to field Jeje Lalpekhlua upfront. But this is Papas. "I need to use him intelligently."

Jeje stays willing to wait. "I will do what my Coach tells me to do. He has a plan for everyone and I am also a part of it. He has explained what my role is and I know it," the Mizo striker proclaims, even as there are frantic calls from local Mizo fans to speak to Jeje and Dika.

Souvik and Prathamesh, the two central defenders who drew appreciation from all against Iraq and UAE, seem to watch, copy and learn from each other. The lanky Prathamesh has been invincible in the air and the nimble-footed Souvik, assured.

In between, General Secretary Kushal Das encourages all. "It's heartening to see the squad working as a cohesive unit. There's so much discipline all around," he said, prior to boarding his afternoon flight back home.

We prefer to roam around. In one of the rooms, you find Abhishek Das deep in meditation. You don't disturb him and move next. A rhythmic tone greets you in Shaiju Mon's room – he is sleeping. Jeje and Dika, the 'Tom and Jerry,' queue up for the ice-bath. A room ahead, Gurpreet is leading Manandeep in the Playstation.

"You have earned respect from all," Papas says in the meeting. "But respect for a footballer is fickle. We need to work harder to stay there," the boys listen. "Sip, sip and sip," Papas goes on. "Water intake has to be high." It's a must for everyone to carry a bottle with him whenever out.

In less than three weeks of training, this bunch has changed a lot. The style of play is interesting, discipline noteworthy and the fightback, in Papas' words, "much like the Aussies."

This team shows what potential Indian football has at international level, now it needs to nurtured further, also sustained and not lost.

The kick-off against Turkmenistan at Sultan Qaboos Stadium on Saturday, June 30 is at 17.00 local time (18.30 IST).

VIDEO: Documentary on Launch of first AIFF Regional Academy

The All India Football Federation in collaboration with world football governing body FIFA launched its first Regional Academy at the Father Agnel School premises in Vashi, Navi Mumbai on May 1, 2012. This is the first of four such Academies to come-up across India and here a documentary on the launch and reactions from key stakeholders and personal involved in the Academy.

AIFF organised Coaches Workshop concludes in New Delhi

The three-day Coaches Workshop for Coaches concluded at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi earlier today. The Workshop which was conducted by AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan and Scott O'Donell, Technical Manager for Regional and Elite Academies, was attended by 12 Indian Coaches plus a Coach from Australia.

This was the second such Workshop which was organised by the All India Football Federation – the earlier one being held in the Capital from January 13 - 15, 2012.

The Workshop came in for praise from the participants. Former Team India Assistant Coach Stanley Rozario, who has also coached the Kolkata Big-Two, felt the Workshop was a breath of fresh air. "It was nice to refresh myself. Such a Workshop was long due and it was nice to be a part of it. Both Rob and Scott stressed on playing possessional football. It was great to interact with them," Stanley said.

Narayana Menon, India's Under-23 Assistant Coach at the Pre-Olympic qualifiers, added, "The focus is now shifting on the juniors. The intention is to create players who will be the flag-bearer for Indian football in the future. My only regret stays that it only lasted three days. It would have been excellent if we could spend more time at the Workshop."

The Workshop had different Theoretical and Practical Sessions – while the Theoretical sessions were held at Clarks Inn at Lajpat Nagar, the practical sessions were conducted at the Ambedkar Stadium.

Besides the Indian coaches, Arthur Pappas from Australia also attended the Workshop and said "it was nice to be in India."

"It is very important for Indian football to develop Indian Coaches. The Workshop was very innovative and helpful indeed," Arthur explained.

"This concept was a new one. The Workshop highlighted a style which Rob and Scott believe will take Indian football forward. I thank the All India Football Federation for arranging such a Workshop," Meghalaya's Thangboi Singto, Shillong Lajong FC's Assistant Coach, commented.

The list of the coaches stay as follows:

Thangboi Singto (Meghalaya), Satheevan Balan, Narayana Menon (both Kerala), Stanley Rozario (Karnataka), Subrata Bhattacharya, Satyabrata Bhowmick, Mridul Kanti Banerjee, Ranjan Bhattacharya (all West Bengal), Anadi Barua (Delhi), Santanu Basu, Bidhan Das (both Assam), Keshav Dutt (Haryana)

AIFF TD Baan to conduct Workshop for Coaches

The All India Football Federation would be organising a Coaches Workshop from April 13 - 15, 2012 in New Delhi. The Workshop would be conducted by AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan and Scott O'Donell, the Technical Manager for Regional and Elite Academies.


The timings for the practical sessions which would be conducted at the Ambedkar Stadium stay as follows:

Friday – April 13: 3 pm to 6 pm

Saturday – April 14: 9 am to 12.30 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm

Sunday – April 15: 9 am to 12.30 pm


The list of the coaches stay as follows:

Thangboi Singto (Meghalaya), Raman Vijayan (Tamil Nadu), Satheevan Balan, Narayana Menon (both Kerala), Stanley Rozario (Karnataka), Subrata Bhattacharya, Satyabrata Bhowmick, Mridul Kanti Banerjee, Ranjan Bhattacharya (all West Bengal), Anadi Barua (Delhi), Santanu Basu, Bidhan Das (both Assam), Keshav Dutt (Haryana)

Besides the Indian coaches, Arthur Pappas from Australia will also be attending the Workshop.

Rob Baan: Regional Academies will shape the future

Against the backdrop of the Under-22 India trials for the qualifiers of the 2013 AFC Under-22 Asian Cup being held in Pailan World School, Kolkata; two of the most significant technical personalities for football in India - AIFF Technical Director Rob Baan and Head Coach Youth Development Colm Joseph Toal came together to speak from the dais at a Media Interaction yesterday.

The duo are currently at Pailan World School to conduct and select 30 boys for the preparatory camp, which would be held prior to the qualifying phase which is scheduled from June 23. 68 boys, including those from the AIFF's Youth Development Team, Pailan Arrows, are attending the trials.

Baan thanked Pailan Group chairman Apurba Saha for his support and hospitality during the camp, a view which was endorsed by Toal. Saha, who was also present on the occasion added, "It's an honour for me that the U-22 National Trials are being held in Pailan and the Regional Academy would be coming up at our campus."

"The U-22 Asian Cup is an important tournament for us," Baan opined. "We have been clubbed in a tough group but it gives the boys an opportunity to play five quality games. We need to remember that not all among this bunch of boys get a chance to play competitive football in the I-League."

"With the right kind of physical conditioning, we will be competitive in the tournament," Baan stressed. India who have been drawn with Oman, Iraq, UAE, Lebanon and Turkmenistan in Group A, play Lebanon in their first match on June 23.

"The forthcoming Regional Academies which are being set-up are very significant," Baan maintained. "One needs to remember we won't deal with U-16 boys in the Academies; rather we are focusing on U-14 boys. They stay a step in the right direction and will shape the future. The I-League clubs need to follow the model."

Toal, who has been in charge of AIFF's Youth Development Programme for the last five years said, "Someone of Mr. Rob Baan's stature joining as the Technical Director is one of the most positive developments in Indian football. His experience will help us in the long run," Colm felt.

"Even at the moment when we are dealing with a specific set of boys, there's always a vacuum underneath. That’s where the clubs need to take more responsibilities," Colm maintained.

"Education for Coaches is imperative. They need to stay updated on a regular basis. Grooming tender kids is an entirely different proposition," Baan went on. "The sport needs to popularised in the schools. The facilities in the schools seem to be better than other places. Hence, we have engaged a lot of schools for our forthcoming Academies."

Baan insisted on focussing on the Grassroots. "It all needs to start form the Grassroots. Only then will the sport be popularised all over the country."

The two gentleman have a tough task on them to develop young Indian football talent.