India now has nine AFC Professional Coaching Diploma coaches in its ranks after Khalid Jamil, Mariano Dias, Santosh Kashyap, Hilal Parray and Thangboi Singto successfully completed the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) first-ever AFC Pro Diploma Course held from July 2013 – November 2014.

Previously Savio Medeira, Derrick Pereira, V. Soundarajan and Hering Shangpliang were the only Indian AFC Professional Coaching Diploma coaches.

Among the twelve participants, Scott O’Donell, Karim Bencherifa and Arthur Papas also successfully completed the Course.

Stanley Rozario was awarded a Pro-Pass (FAME) which means he has to re-sit one more practical examination.

The Course was conducted by former Indian national team coach Wim Koevermans, who is also an UEFA Pro License Instructor.

The AIFF also conducted two AFC Goalkeeping Courses in Kolkata in November this year.

Of the 18 participants for the AFC Goalkeeping Level 1 course, 14 coaches successfully passed (with one Pro-Pass) while four candidates among four passed the AFC Goalkeeping Level 2 Course (with two Pro-Passes).

Both the AFC Goalkeeping Courses were conducted by experienced AFC Goalkeeping Instructor Yong Wai Hwong from Malaysia.

Meanwhile, starting January 1, 2015, the AIFF have made it mandatory for all aspiring coaches in India to pass the AIFF D-Certificate course before appearing for the AFC courses starting with AFC-C.

List of successful Pro-Licence Coaches:
Kahlid Jamil, Mariano Dias, Santosh Kashyap, Hilal Parray, Thangboi Singto, Karim Bencherifa, Scott O’Donell, Arthur Papas

Pro-Pass:
Stanley Rozario

List of successful Coaches who passed Goalkeeping Level Goalkeeping 2 Course
Tanumoy Basu, Sandeep Singh, Virender Singh, Hameed KK

Pro-Pass:
Fysal K. Bappu, Tapan Chakraborty

List of successful Coaches who passed Goalkeeping Level 1 Course:
Nongthonbam Puthiba Metei, Thatheus Khyriem, Siddique Abdul Azim, Shaikh Mohammed Qadeer, Parshuram Salwadi, Shafi Kalavath Ali, Gavin Elias Araujo, A. Cleofas, Bobby L. Nongbet, Subrata Das Gupta, Gumpe Rime, M. Zakeer Hussain, Kishore Chavan Shivaji Rao, Kaushik Paul

Pro-Pass:
Ronibala Chanu

(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)