With focus on improving quality of training, AFI to introduce license programme

P. Radhakrishan Nair, a Dronacharya awardee and Chief National coach, explained the working of the latest scheme under which coaches will be required to earn licenses.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: According to the lastest policy of AFI, it will become mandatory for coaches to obtain the AFI’s coaching license to train athletes from the grassroots level. | Photo Credit: AFP

To streamline the coaching methodology and to prevent overtraining and athlete burnouts, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is introducing a licensing programme for coaches in the country.

It will become mandatory for coaches to obtain the AFI’s coaching license to train athletes from the grassroots level. The AFI is aware of the shortage of coaches in the country and has plans to induct around 10,000 coaches into its programme in the next five years.

“The reason for early burnouts is overtraining. The coaches go for personal glory and put undue strain on young athletes who fade away after showing early promise. The AFI has realised the need to improve the quality of coaching. We will make it mandatory for them to obtain the AFI’s coaching license to train athletes from the grassroots level, said Dhronacharya awardee and Chief National coach P. Radhakrishan Nair.

“The coaches at different levels have a specific role and are under no pressure to produce results. For example, the grassroots level (pre-level 1) coach is only required to teach basis and identify talent. Any layman can apply and learn the AFI’s pre-level 1 coaching programme. The Level 1 coach will be basically training the youth (under-16) while Level 2 coach will be training the juniors (under-20) and elite coaches, with Level 3 licenses, will be training the seniors.

“Those with Level 4 certificates will become coaches’ educators and chief coaches. The coaches are required to spend a mandatory period at each level before they graduate to the next level. The AFI will strictly monitor their work before promoting them to next stage. Earlier anyone with a NIS diploma could train an elite athlete but now to obtain Level 3 license,a coach will have to put in a minimum of 10 years, ’’ added Nair.

The chief coach said early specialisation combined with over training at youth and junior level was killing young talents in the country. He also added that the menace of age manipulation and doping in junior categories was stifling the growth of sports in the country.

“An athlete should be first introduced to a multi event and event specialisation should be done only between 18 and 21 years of age. But In India the event specialisation is done very early. We are educating the coaches regarding this. We are determined to end age fraud. We have launched a whistle-blower policy against age fraud and doping.

“We have also introduced biometric scanning in junior meets. We have been advising athletes to stop taking food supplements which may be contaminated and instead have been asking them to take proteins naturally through a balanced diet.”