In a significant development, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been conferred with the Coaching Convention A Level by the Asian Football Confederation, paving the way for Indian licensed coaches to coach in any part of Asia.
The development will allow AIFF to conduct its own AFC 'A' and 'B' diploma courses and also provide AFC A and B Diploma Certificates.
Savio Medeira, Head of Coach Education, AIFF, felt "getting the AFC Convention approval itself is a huge honour."
"Although the criteria for each diploma is provided by AFC, we can mould and design the courses to suit us. Now we can conduct and implement the way we want, and in view of our different culture and environment, this would be hugely beneficial for us," Medeira, a former India International said.
"Earlier, each Member Association (MA) would depend on AFC to send Coach Educators to conduct courses. Coaching convention will now enforce each MA to produce their own local Instructors, and get independent rather than being dependent on AFC for all courses."
Besides India, the AFC has currently provided conferment of the AFC A Level Certificate course to Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Bangladesh, while the Professional Diploma has been conferred to Australia, Japan, China, and Qatar.
"The AFC conferment is a huge honour for AIFF's Coach Education Programme. We aimed at bringing in a holistic change to the Coach Education Programme, and AFC's acknowledgement shows that we are on the right path," said Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF.
In April, AIFF had signed a coaching convention with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) focused on coaching rules and methods.
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