The Hindu : Sport / Football : Project Kerala by May 2008

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Saturday, Sep 22, 2007
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Sport - Football

Project Kerala by May 2008

A. Vinod

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has given time till May next year to the Kerala Football Association (KFA) to implement Project Kerala of the Vision India scheme.

This assurance was given to the KFA delegation, led by its president, K.M.I. Mather, after the two-day workshop on the project held in Kuala Lumpur on September 18 and 19 in the presence of the AFC president, Mohammed Bin Hammam and general secretary, Paul Mony Samuel. Giving details of the discussion, the KFA secretary, K.P. Sunny, told The Hindu on his return from the Malaysian capital on Saturday that the Vision India team of the AFC concurred with the KFA’s views that more time was required for implementing the tailor-made project aimed at the overall development of football in the State.

The focus of the programme would be on the grassroots and youth development. In order to ensure its proper implementation, the AFC would like the KFA to identify schools with strong football culture in the pilot districts and establish grassroots competitions for these schools and to ensure that teachers handling grassroots teams have adequate coaching qualifications.

The KFA is also to ensure that there are adequate qualified referees for the schools’ competitions and coaches for the district and State teams at the age-group level (minimum AFC ‘B’ course coaching certificate).

AFC to help

The AFC will help the KFA conduct a Grassroots and Youth Development workshop for all stakeholders in order to formulate a grassroots and youth policy and development plan for Kerala.

Prior to that, the Vision India team of the AFC would be sending a final report of its Strategic Development Plan for Project Kerala based on the discussions that the KFA delegation in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and Thursday.

The KFA will then have to discuss the same within its Central Council and with all the stakeholders before the project is finally implemented.

The final report of the Vision India team is likely to have an exact time-frame by which the KFA would have to implement the various elements of the project. Apart from grassroots and youth development, the other key elements would be football administration, clubs and competitions, coach education and referee development as mentioned in the draft plan circulated earlier this year.

To provide all help

In the meanwhile, the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) president, T.P. Dasan, who accompanied the KFA delegation for the workshop, said that the AFC has in principle agreed to provide all possible help for the implementation of the KSSC’s project of developing football at the panchayat level.

Accordingly, it was agreed to start the programme at eight schools on a pilot basis before spreading it all over the State. The KSSC’s project is aimed at providing year-round training for 25 school children in each panchayat. A coordination committee having nominees of the KSSC, the KFA and other stakeholders will be constituted to ensure its proper implementation. The AFC will provide technical assistance besides undertaking training for the trainers to be appointed at each panchayat.

The KSSC secretary, G. Kishore, said that the AFC president, Mohammed Bin Hammam has agreed to visit Kerala early next year, accepting a formal invitation extended to him by the delegation to visit the State. The exact dates and itinerary of the tour will be decided in due course.

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