Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Germans to train Bengal's football coaches

January 20, 2003 10:20 IST

The West Bengal (junior boys) team's poor showing in the Santosh Trophy has prompted those at the helm to go in for some drastic measures to stop the slide in the quality of football being played in the state.

Experts have blamed the junior boys' poor showing on the lack of proper coaching.

To rectify the situation, a team of German football coaches are expected to arrive in Kolkata to impart  training to the state's junior coaches with a view to develop the game at the grassroots level.

Indian Football Association joint secretary Ranjit Gupta said German authorities had accepted its request in this regard.

"We want our junior coaches to learn from their senior foreign counterparts and pass on the benefits of the training session to the young players," Gupta said.

Alongside the training session for its coaches, the IFA is also considering sending a few of the junior teams to Germany to gain international exposure.

"Such exposure from a young age will help the youngsters understand and cope with the challenges of soccer at the international level," Gupta said adding the details are yet to be finalised.

The Kolkata football league, run by the IFA, is also likely to witness an overhaul if talks with a British marketing agency, which has worked with the Premier league (in the United Kingdom) and the Chinese league, bear fruit.

The firm's representatives are expected to visit the city on January 26 to discuss ways to raise the standard of the league, IFA sources said.

M Chhaya in Kolkata