All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Director Isac Doru stressed on the significance of the “capacity building” of the State Associations in the AIFF organised FIFA Capacity Building Workshop in New Delhi.

While Indian football has been on the rise over the last few years, Doru stated State Associations are the “building blocks” of Indian football.

“The State Associations are the bricks that build up the future of Indian football. These bricks make up the foundation. It is our job, as the federation, to work together in harmony and help football grow,” said Doru.

The Technical Director believes that the State units, along with their respective Development Officers will be crucial in spreading the sport throughout the country.

“The total states covered by the Development Officers of each state gives us the opportunity to cover a larger area, and a larger number of people,” said Doru. “Ultimately, though, this larger reach can only be capitalised upon, if more competitions are held, giving the footballers across all levels in the nation, more opportunities to play the game and improve themselves,” he added.

“We need more competitions. We need more games to build a better future. I read a lot about training techniques, and this and that. But the harsh reality is that we need our footballers to play more games, to play more competitions. A larger reach will certainly help us attain that.”

(AIFF Media)