NEW DELHI: All India Football Federation launched its first Referee’s Academy at the Barabati Complex in Cuttack on Saturday (May 4, 2013). The Academy is the first of the “targeted nine Refereeing Academies” planned by the AIFF. Mr. Asirbad Behera, Honorary Secretary of Orissa Olympic Association, was present on the occasion.

“This is a very significant step undertaken by the AIFF. I’m confident that the Academy will go a long way in improving the standard of Indian Referees,” AIFF Kushal Das, said. Amit Ranjan Deb, the Chairman of the Referee’s Board, AIFF felt, there can’t be any “compromise on the quality as well as the quantity of Indian referees.” As the Chairman of the Board, I had earlier launched the PFI. The Academy will cater to young referees and help them understand the match situation better. We need to begin from grassroots,” he maintained. “15 boys and 5 girls, all from Orissa will attend the one-year curriculum,” Goutam Kar, Head of Referees, AIFF informed. “Presently, all of them are Category 4 and Category 5 Referees,” he added. “We stay grateful to the Orissa Football Association for their cooperation and allowing us to use the facilities at the Barabati Stadium Complex.” Such Academies are already in existence in many European and Asian countries. “This will be a Weekend Academy. Besides theoretical classes, there would also be practical training, game exposure, interactive sessions, fitness tests, lessons on nutrition, diet and sports psychology,” Kar, further informed. “The Refereeing fraternity is very concerned about the evils of Match fixing which has hit World Football hard. Hence, it will also be an additional subject.” The Instructors, all of them Futuro III trained, will be from India.