Sukhwinder to stay as football coach

Sukhwinder Singh will continue as the coach of the Indian Senior Football team, All India Football Federation said on Sunday.

Denying reports that the federation will replace Sukhwinder with East Bengal's Subhash Bhowmick at its meeting in New Delhi scheduled for Tuesday, AIFF Senior Vice President C R Viswanathan was categoric in saying that "Sukwinder will continue and Federation President P R Dasmunshi or the Executive Commitee were not contemplating any change at this stage".

Viswanathan said, "only the media has been spreading this rumour and I can categorically say that the Federation has neither discused this aspect nor the subject was a matter for discussion in the Tuesday meeting".

"The meeting is to discuss the team's performance in its two tours (Pakistan and Fiji) and the reports of both the Manager and the Coach would also be analysed", he said, adding "the thrust in the meeting will be towards setting up of a system of coaching in the country".

Saying that every aspect of football, including decisions on appointment of coaches, are made only after detailed discussion, Viswanathan, who is also the Chairman of the Coaching and Technical Committee of the AIFF, said "members of the Committee have submitted their proposals and it would be placed for discussion at Tuesday's meeting".

Viswanathan felt that Sukhwinder had not been given enough time and that he had continued with the team handled by Constantine.

"I personally feel that the present team is our best team in recent times. Their performance against Japan, though we received seven goals, was excellent. We missed a few chances but the team played the full 90 minutes with vigour and were hard in tackles", he said.

According to Viswanathan, the Coaching and Technical Committees have proposed to the AIFF that the Chairman and members of these committees should be present at Coaching camps and major tournaments to assess the players' progress.

"I have been for the last over ten years suggesting a system of coaching in the country and my earlier proposal is with the AIFF. It has now crystalised and a system will be in place at the earliest", he said.

"It has been proposed to identify 30 footballers in each of over 600 districts in India and, after a thorough testing of trainees on both physical and playing abilities, 30 players would be selected from each State. They would be grouped Zone-wise before a final list of 30 trainees will be picked for the All India Camp."

It has also been proposed that the Federation set up regional centres to maintain data on these trainees and monitor and assess their progress, Viswanathan said.