The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey observed that Nagaland has enormous potential and talent, and asserted that AIFF would extend all technical support to develop football in Nagaland.
He said this while addressing a press conference on 4 December at the Nagaland Olympic Association office Complex, here in Kohima.
AIFF President Chaubey and AIFF Treasurer Kipa Ajay arrived in Kohima on a two-day maiden official visit. He is the first AIFF President to visit Nagaland officially.
On his arrival, Chaubey launched the FIFA Football for Schools programme for Nagaland State at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima.
A felicitation programme was also organised by the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA) at Talimeren Hall in NOA complex.
Chaubey said infrastructure and opportunities have to be created for which he said he would request Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to create a scholarship programme so that AIFF can send its best coaches to the state to train at least 16 coaches, one each for every district and 10 referees for the state.
“I am scheduled to meet Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at his residence and I will definitely speak on the coaches education, quality refereeing education,” he said.
He observed that there is a lack in producing opportunity to the children in sports at the right age. He asserted that he is here to create opportunity and infrastructure and create a systematic football for the boys and girls in Nagaland.
He also said AIFF will support the state to ensure that in 3 years-time every district will have at least an ‘A’ License football coach so that there is no dearth of quality coaches to train the young ones and build national level players.
He stated that AIFF would love to start from January 2023 and continue until the end of December 2025.
“AIFF will sent a coach instructor. The coach instructor can come here in Kohima and the 16 districts, they can upgrade their coaching skills. Instead of sending 16 outside Nagaland which can be a costly affair but bringing one AIFF instructor here having international experience, knowledge and certification here, he can definitely train 16, 30 or 50 because it is your state, you can definitely lodge 50 boys and girls in a hostel adjacent to a football ground,” he stated adding that it was “doable” and “achievable”.
Chaubey also mentioned that AIFF for the first time have received a state development plan from every respective state football association and with all the suggestions from the state associations, AIFF will announce the national road map.
