Increase in number of qualified coaches will produce better quality players, says Bhaichung

FORMER INDIAN CAPTAIN Bhaichung Bhutia stressed on the importance of improving the awareness around football to provide budding footballers a better enviornment to grow up in. 

Speaking at a book launch in Delhi today, Bhaichung said,

"I was lucky to have a good footballing atmosphere back in Sikkim while growing up. The atmosphere you grow up in matters a lot in terms of shaping you as a player."

He said that the situation at the grassroots level has improved a lot and players today have access to facilities and training that the previous generation never got,

"The change is visible at the ground level. Ever since we have introduced coaching licenses, we have produced a few thousand qualified coaches. So many of them are working at clubs, academies and schools. And even if they can't find employment there, they can go back to their village and coach kids, and make sure that they get the right kind of training from the very beginning. That makes a big difference."

The positive effects of these intiatives, Bhaichung said, is visible in the fact that the newer generations of players that are coming up in India are technically far superior than their predecessors.