Dutch instructors train 35 football coaches in Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC), in collaboration with the KNVB Dutch Football Association, has launched a refresher football coaching course here, marking a significant step towards the development of the sport in the region, an official said.

For the first time, the international football coaching and life skills programme has been introduced here, with 35 local coaches getting the opportunity to participate in the KNVB world coaches programme, the official said.

He said the initiative is a major step towards enhancing football coaching standards in the union territory.

The world coaches programme, established by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), has a strong presence in India and its various states and union territories. The programme aims to develop football at the grassroots level by providing structured training and knowledge sharing with local coaches.

The five-day course commenced at Mini Stadium Parade, Jammu, on Saturday, under the guidance of Dutch instructors Roger Schouwenaar and Raimond Massop, officials said.

They said both instructors, holding UEFA-A Coaching Licenses, bring over 20 years of international coaching experience across 40 plus countries.

“This initiative is expected to strengthen football coaching in J&K, and future collaborations between the Dutch Football Federation and the J&K Government are anticipated to sustain and expand such exchange programs,” J&K Sports Council secretary Nuzhat Gul said.

The world coaches programme, now in its 15th year, has been instrumental in developing football coaching worldwide, with nearly 20,000 coaches trained across 65 countries — over 30 percent of whom are women, a percentage that is expected to grow for better gender representation in the sport.

Gul expressed gratitude to the Dutch instructors for organising the course in Jammu. She emphasised that the latest coaching methodologies and philosophies imparted through the program will benefit athletes across J&K.

She also highlighted the importance of international collaborations in providing local coaches with exposure to top-quality coaching practices.