Former India captain Carlton Chapman has asked the National federation to bring all the coaches in India under one platform.
“Look at England where the professional coaches come together to share their views. This is a very proactive approach which helps the coaches develop their coaching methods with new ideas,” Chapman told The Hindu .
“Such a concept is non-existent in India. It is essential that the Federation (AIFF) should help start a coaches' association much on the lines of the players' body (FPAI) that has already doing a lot for the professional footballers,” he added.
“Coaches in the country are a disintegrated lot who prefer to stay aloof nursing their ego and a move to bring them together would benefit the young and upcoming professionals,” Chapman said.
Rated as one of the best midfielders of the country, Chapman is among a few former stars who are at different stages of completing coaching licence courses.
Having successfully completed the AFC ‘B' licence course, the soft-spoken former international says he prefers learning the nitty-gritty of the trade in a comparatively smaller club before making a plunge to the big stage.
Three-year deal
Following a short stint with Delhi's Royal Rangers, the former India star signed a three-year contract with the Shillong-based second division I-league side Royal Wahingdoh FC as its head coach last Friday.
“I had been with the club (Wahingdoh) for the last six months wherein it became the Shillong Premier League champion and also did fairly well reaching the final stage of the second-division I-League,” Chapman said.
“Shillong presents a good example of development with a number of its Premier League clubs enjoying professional management and a big community support,” said the 39-year-old coach.
Natural
Chapman said coming to a professionally-managed club in Shillong was natural as he had been a coach with Tata Football Academy, the cornucopia of country's football talents.
“I learnt the basics of the game in TFA as a player and went back there to learn the basics of coaching after hanging up my boots,” Chapman said.
“But it is sad that TFA continues to remain the lone supplier of quality footballers and there is no other academy to look for talents in the country,” he lamented about the non-existent youth development programme in the country.
No hurry
The upcoming coach now wishes to go back to the club where he flourished as a player.
“It is my dream to coach East Bengal, the club where I gave my best as a player. But I am in no hurry to take up the big responsibility and have given myself another five-six years to mature for that job,” Chapman said before winding up.
