Indian football on the verge of taking it to the next level, asserts Kishal Das
India broke into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings back in 2017
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Kushal Das, general secretary of the AIFF, has stated that Indian football is on the cusp of taking it to the next level and that the coaches will play key roles in achieving that. Indiaâs rankings have risen steeply with the Blue Tigers breaking into the top 100 of the rankings earlier this decade.
The last 10 years have been memorable ones for Indian football in many ways, with them qualifying for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, breaking into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings, and making an appearance in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup last year. But there is still a lot of scope for improvement, especially with the poor results in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. That has seen Kishal Das admit that Indian football is on the verge of taking it to the next level, with the coaches set to play an instrumental role in achieving it.
"Without coaches, the game can't be improved nationally. India is on the cusp of taking it to the next level. Our youth development, FIFA rankings have improved in recent times significantly. Combining the knowledge of NIS Patiala which focuses on Sports science and AIFF courses will be a perfect scenario for the coaches to grow. AIFF will always be there to provide whichever support is required,â said Kushal Das, during an online session.
The AIFF joining hands with Sports Authority of India (SAI) started a four-day Special Reconversion Course on Monday as a part of AIFFâs plan to guide SAI coaches to understand the process of AFC-AIFF coach education system. Hopefully, the initiative will see more Indian coaches taking up responsible roles in Indian football and Das admitted that this has been something they've been trying to do for a long time.
"We are grateful to SAI for coming forward and partnering with us. I would like to thank Mr. Sandeep Pradhan (SAI DG) for his untiring efforts to implement this. We have been trying to do this since long,â added the Das.
