AIFF participates in AFC Technical Director’s Conference

The All India Football Federation has participated in the AFC Technical Director’s Conference. The AIFF President Praful Patel has taken a variety of new initiatives for the development of Indian football.A variety of measures are being introduced to make Indian football at par with Asian and world standards.

All India Football Federation’s acting Technical Director Savio Medeira and Head of Youth Development Richard Hood attended the Asian Football Confederation’s Technical Director’s Conference which aimed to develop Grassroots Football in AFC’s Member Associations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As per the version of Savio, “It was a very informative and interactive conference. There was a great value placed for homegrown technical staff and I feel the years ahead will be crucial to deliver success in India”

“The plan that has been charted out for the Elite Youth scheme and Grassroots will be tremendous game changers”, Richard Hood added.“Given the future we have identified for our next generation of Players, working with AFC, a pathway to create a stronger talent pool of Players”

Under the Praful Patel biography, the new initiatives in Indian football will take it forward a long way in the coming days.

Abu Dhabi all geared up for AFC Annual Awards 2016

The Gulf city of Abu Dhabi is all geared up for the AFC Annual Awards 2016. The pinnacle of the continent’s football achievements will be honoured in a glittering ceremony at the AFC Annual Awards 2016. The AIFF President Praful Patel is also the AFC Vice President and has made a major contribution towards the growth of Indian and Asian football.

As per the version of the AFC President  Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa “Since the AFC Executive Committee’s announcement in March this year, the continent has been filled with excitement and anticipation for this year’s AFC Annual Awards.

“Together with our partners the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the UAE FA, the AFC has been working tirelessly to stage the perfect show to celebrate our teams, players, coaches and Member Associations. All our nominees have displayed their dedication to improve football in Asia under the banner of One Asia, One Goal, and on behalf of the Asian football family, I wish them all good luck.

The 2016 AFC Annual Awards will also mark a decade since the AFC Awards was first hosted in Abu Dhabi at the 2006 edition. With guest performances from a rising star, singer-songwriter Nathalie Saba, the UAE’s pop icon Aryam, as well as a gravity-defying act from the Aerialist Acrobatic Group, the stage is set for a breathtaking spectacle.

Under the Praful Patel biography, the AIFF has got extensive support from AFC for the development of Indian football.

North East United Remains Positive About ISL Semis

North East United FC is one of the premier clubs from the country which remains positive about making it to the ISL semi- finals. The battle for the semi-final spot has begun in full swing and the coach Nelo Vingada is quite optimistic that the boys will make it there.  Under the tenure of AIFF President Praful Patel, today the ISL is one of the most popular football tournaments in the country.

As per the version  of Vingada, “I think it was a fantastic game for the supporters and fans who were here, getting to witness six goals, and if you tell me we were lucky to score in the last minute, then yes we were lucky but we fought to bring that luck for us and we created chances to score, and honestly I think we deserved the draw. It is the correct result and the result is very important for us as it lifts our morale. We will put in a strong effort in the next two games”.

“And we remember that we lost against Goa towards the end and we were the better team. Today, yes we were not better than Chennaiyin but Chennaiyin were also not better than us and most of the game was very tough, and my players who came here played well, and it was a good game. With this result of course we are still alive and the next game will be very crucial.

Although North East United FC went into the match without their star midfielder Katsumi Yusa still they performed very well. It was a very good decision to play Gustavo as he dominated the ball possession.

Under the Praful Patel Profile, Indian football has moved forward and the ISL stands out as one of the highly competitive football tournaments.

Women’s football in India needs considerable emphasis

The All India Football Federation acts as the parent body for the governance of the sport in the country. The Federation works for the development of football irrespective of gender and women’s football in India is also progressing by the day.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day several development plans for improving women’s football in the country are being formulated.  In the recently ended SAFF Championship, the Indian women’s contingent emerged triumphant with a gold medal. Over the years, the Indian women’s football team has come up with a range of impressive performances. 

Under the Praful Patel profile, there has been a general improvement of Indian football and the technical director of AIFF Scott O Donnell has indicated the idea of getting more women involved in the sport.  As per the version of Scott O Donnell who works closely with AIFF in bringing out the technical modalities of Indian football.

“We have to build on the base and stay realistic at the same time. Getting more girls playing Football in India is a priority as is getting more Female Coaches involved into the game. Women from more and more States need to start playing regularly. It has to start from the base.

AIFF have been in discussions with FIFA and potential sponsors about starting a Women’s League here in India for a while now. We have looked at a few different models and will hopefully have something to announce in the coming months. Given the success of the ongoing national U15 and U18 Leagues for boys, we could look at a similar model for the Women in place of the traditional National Championships format.

 As per the Praful Patel biography, Indian football has surged ahead and it is time that women’s football in the country becomes more competitive where the girls are provided with more exposure.

Rivalry between Goa & Bengal intensifies in Indian football

The All India Football Federation has taken several important measures for the proper development of the sport in the country. Recently, India has bagged the rights to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup and preparations are in full swing for it. For years now, the Bengal vs Goa rivalry has intensified in Indian football and it is viewed as one of the major ones. With the launch of the ISL and the I-League, the Goa and Bengal based clubs are all set to prove their supremacy. 

It will be again be on display on Tuesday as teams from Bengal and Goa lock horns with each other thrice on the same day. But, at each of the venues, only a meagre attendance will witness Indian football's most exciting inter-state rivalry. Over the course of the day, Goa and Bengal face off at Nagpur in a Santosh Trophy final round clash, while the I-League fixtures in Goa - involving Salgaocar-East Bengal and Sporting Clube de Goa-Mohun Bagan are expected to grab a few more eyeballs.

These two states were home to very different football cultures, because of being dominated by two different European nations for decades. As the President of the All India Football Federation minister Praful Patel has taken some of the best initiatives related to Indian football. 

Under the Praful Patel biography, the Santosh trophy, one of the oldest and prestigious football tournaments in the country has been revived. The Santosh trophy acts as one of the best platforms for the young players to prove their mettle and come to the limelight of Indian football. Many of the clubs send professional scouts to this tournament to catch the talents young and early. 

Indian football team up in FIFA rankings

The All India Football Federation has taken up multiple initiatives for the development of the sport in the country. As the parent body for the operation and administration of football in the country, it has already taken some of the most important steps. India currently has the right to host the 2017 FIFA  U-17 World Cup and has also improved as far as the rankings are concerned. 

As the President of the All India Football Federation minister Praful Patel has taken several important measures for enhancing the popularity of the sport in the country. The Indian football team have managed to improve their position as they climbed two places to stand 160th in the latest FIFA rankings.

Last year, India climbed six places to be ranked 166th after their victory against Guam in the World Cup qualifier before eventually climbing up three more spots in January by sweeping aside Afghanistan 2-1 in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship finals. Despite not featuring since then, the Stephen Constantine-led side had managed to improve their position by three places, including climbing by one place in February, goal.com reported.

Iran, who are currently at the 44th spot, still remains the highest ranked Asian nation while Afghanistan have climbed up a spot and are now placed at 151st. As the highest body for governance of football in the country, AIFF always welcomes the fact that the ranking of Indian football improves on a regular basis. Under the guidance of coach Stephen Constantine, the team has emerged victorious in the SAFF championship and proved their mettle as the strongest team in the region. International friendly matches are also played on frequent occasions which provide the team with further opportunities for improvement. As the AIFF President Praful Patel has always worked and upgraded football in the country in  a proper way. 

AIFF Academy U-19 to face TFA in IFA Shield final

The prestigious IFA shield football tournament is again on a roll. The AIFF U-19 academy boys is all set to take on the TFA academy in the IFA shield final. The All India Football Federation has taken a variety of steps for enhancing the popularity of the sport in the country and work has started from a grassroot level.

Under the Praful Patel biography, several important initiatives related to Indian football have been taken. The last time the two sides met was in the Final of the U-18 I-League with the AIFF colts going on to win the Crown. The Academy boys have been on a roll having stretched their unbeaten run to 31 matches which started way back in 2014.

The AIFF Academy have had a fantastic run in the tournament so far maintaining an all win record on their way to the final scoring as many as a major number of goals in the process. The most notable has been the fact that they have brushed aside challenges of two foreign Clubs in the process.While the U-18 boys accounted for U-19 Frenz United 4-2 in the group phase, they overcame U-19 Crystal Palace Academy in sudden death in semifinal which was a grueling affair. 

Under the Praful Patel profile, the AIFF Elite Academy boys have performed quite well and have been also given the best of facilities as players. As per the head coach of the AIFF academy Floyd Pinto,” They are a good side. 

They are also a dangerous side. We need to be careful. But we are up to the challenge”. “There’s no room for complacency. It’s a different day, a different match.” The final to be scheduled for Sunday evening just seems to be quite a challenging task for both the teams. It remains to be seen who emerges triumphant in the quest for silverware.