Barely a couple of months after being the first Indian to be among the Elite Panel of FIFA Conditioning Instructors, Indian national senior team’s physical trainer Pradip Dutta added another feather to his cap by becoming a FIFA 11+ Instructor.

Dutta attended the one-day workshop of FIFA 11+ in Kuala Lumpur, an injury prevention programme which is being promoted by FIFA across the globe. Mariano Bizzini, one of the Project Managers of FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre stayed the Instructor.

“FIFA is popularising its FIFA 11+ injury prevention programme across the globe. Now that I have become a FIFA 11+ Instructors I will incorporate the 15 exercises in the national team and elsewhere where I will be the Instructor for players as well as coaches,” Dutta told AIFF Media.

The FIFA 11+ Programme was developed by an international group of experts and its effectiveness has been proven in a scientific study. Teams that performed the FIFA 11+ at least twice a week had 30-50% fewer injured players.

“Injury plays a big part in international football and with the amount of football the national team players play all throughout the season, injury prevention is a must. If the introduction of this programme can help reduce the injuries by 30-50%, it’s amazing and must be inculcated,” Dutta who hails from Barrackpore in West Bengal, added.

“The FIFA 11+ module has a total of 15 drills spread over a period of 20 minutes,” he further informed.

Apart from FIFA’s assignment, Dutta also attended the AFC Technical Education Seminar (AFC Fitness Coaching Instructors’ Course – Level 2A) in Kuala Lumpur.

“This was the 2A module of the Fitness Coaching Instructors’ Course which needed to be planned. There are different levels of the course. We are done with 1A and 1B. Now 2A needed to be planned,” Dutta stated.

(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)