Premier Skills, an initiative by the Premier League and the British Council, is training coaches from Northeast India at a special camp at Tepesia in Guwahati starting Monday.
This is the first time that the programme will take place in Northeast India which follows the successful Premier Skills training programme at Thiruvananthapuram between 2013 and 2016.
The Premier Skills Phase 1 Coach Education course is taking place from March 12 to 18 wherein 62 participants, including grassroots coaches and physical education students from the eight states of Northeast India will join the sessions. These participants will receive expert training from qualified Premier Skills coaches, giving them the skills and support to develop their own community football projects.
The course in Guwahati will be led by Premier League Coach Educator Jeremy Weeks and he will be supported by UK Club coaches; Isaac Hammond from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Niamh Nolan from City in the Community, the foundation arm of Manchester City Football Club. They will be joined by four Premier Skills coach educators who took part in the Premier Skills programme in India between 2013 and 2016, and who will be on hand to assist the Premier League coaching team and pass on their experience to their fellow Indian coaches.
“Premier Skills continues to grow in popularity and strength in India and the introduction of training in Guwahati, following the successful sessions in Kerala, further acknowledges the impact that the Coach Educators have had in developing sport in local communities,” said Tim Vine, director international and government relations, Premier League.
Premier Skills uses football to develop a brighter future for young people around the world, drawing upon the global appeal of the Premier League and its expertise in delivering community programmes in the UK, alongside the British Council’s global network and track record of delivery.
Through Premier Skills, young people, often including the most vulnerable in society, are given opportunities to become better integrated into their local communities, to develop their skills for employability and to raise their self-esteem.
This course is being jointly organised by the British Council, the Premier League, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
“The Northeast is the beating heart of Indian football. I’m delighted that in 2018, when my organisation is celebrating our 70th anniversary in India, we are here in Guwahati, presenting, for the first time in Northeast, the Premier Skills programme, a global partnership we have with Premier League,” said Alan Gemmell OBE, Director British Council India.
The AIFF have accredited the Premier Skills Phase 1 training as equivalent to their D Licence certification. Candidates who successfully complete the Phase 1 course will then be able to apply for an AFC C Certificate course following a period of three months of successfully completing the Phase 1 course.
“I am extremely happy that the British Council in collaboration with the Premier League has extended its social education programme through sports in the Northeast region of India. This part of India has always been a great resource of young footballers and such programmes will help our grassroot level trainers improve their teaching techniques and develop integration between our communities through sport,” said Subhash Basumatary, Director Sports Authority of India, Guwahati.
