FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Ajit John
PANJIM: A five-day skills training session will commence on Monday for 30 Goan football coaches at the Don Bosco Panjim facility. The sessions will be overseen by Dutch great Johan Neeskens. Compatriot Bart Zurman will partner him in the program.
The coaches who will be part of the training session will either be from the Sports Authority of India or from the Goa Football Association. The coaches have done their AFC C and B courses. The coaches will be trained in training and assessing talent.
This session is unique in that it will involve basic coaching skills. This training session will be different from the AFC module in the sense it will also involve life skills. If a player is not playing to potential the coach will be trained to investigate the reasons behind this dip in form.
The training session will involve theory followed by practical sessions. There are four levels which will be offered to the coaches over the next one year. The expense for this entire initiative is being borne by the Dutch authorities.
The man heading the training session Johan Neeskens is a Dutch football manager and former player. A midfielder, he was an important member of the Netherlands national team that finished runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups and is considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time. In 2004, he was named one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony, while in 2017 he was included in the Four-Four-Two list of the 100 all-time greatest players, at the 64th position.
