AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Over the past few decades, the state of Manipur has established itself as a nursery of talent both at the grassroots and youth level leading up to a steady stream of top-class players, who have donned both the men’s and women’s Indian National Team colours.

The All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) has made an ambitious plan to grow the game locally in each of its districts. A legendary player during his heyday, who later turned towards coaching after hanging up his boots, AMFA President Mr. Ratan Singh is someone who is well versed with the state of affairs in Manipur and is looking at a bottom-up approach towards long-term development.

Over the past three weeks, AMFA collaborated with its Districts affiliates to deliver three AIFF E Certificate Coaching Courses training 76 Coaches and 320 children across three districts, the last of which concluded in the picturesque hill district of Chandel.

“We have a wealth of talent at the grassroots levels in Manipur and the need of the hour is for educated coaches, who can guide and facilitate their progress into Elite Youth Football. With these courses, we are empowering our coaches and providing them with the tools and best practices to develop themselves and their players in the process," said Mr. Ratan Singh, who is also a member of the AIFF Grassroots Committee.

AMFA is currently in the process of formulating a calendar whereby they are looking to deliver over 30 courses over the next twelve months, targeting over 700 coaches with both the AIFF E and D Coaching Certification hosted by multiple District FAs across the State.

All India Football Federation has expressly emphasised its focus on grassroots and youth development across the country. AIFF’s Grassroots Committee Chairman Mr. Mulrajsinh Chudasama, who has been working with multiple State FAs to take the initiative in their regions, welcome the move.

“I would like to congratulate AMFA for this wonderful endeavour and Mr. Ratan Singh for his astute leadership in taking these crucial steps to develop the game at all levels. AIFF is extremely proactive and we look forward to training more coaches and introducing our platforms like the Golden Baby League and the FIFA Football for Schools Program on a wider basis in each of the districts in the state,” said Mr. Chudasama.

Additionally, Manipur has also facilitated the development of Coach Educators at the E and D Certificate level from the state who now can deliver courses in Manipuri. Former India International Gouramangi Singh Moirangthem is a member of the AIFF E Certificate Coach Educators Panel.

Gouramangi said, “Anyone from Manipur will tell you how football is embedded into our culture and I for one feel humbled to be able to give back to my community and help fuel the dreams of the next generation of coaches and players, all of whom play a vital role in taking Indian football to the next level."