Guwahati: Premier Skills, a joint initiative of the English Premier League and the British Council to educate football coaches across the world, set foot in the Northeast on Monday with the launch of a week-long Phase 1 course for coaches at Tepesia Sports Complex in Sonapur on the outskirts of the city.

The course is also supported by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

A total of 62 participants, including grassroots-level coaches and physical education students from the eight states of the Northeast are participating in the sessions. The participants will receive expert training from qualified Premier Skills coaches in skills and support to develop their own community football projects.

The course here is being led by Premier League coach educator Jeremy Weeks with the support from UK club coaches Isaac Hammond of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Niamh Nolan of City in the Community - the foundation arm of Manchester City FC. They will be joined by four Premier Skills coach educators who took part in the Premier Skills programme in India between 2013 and 2016 in Kerala.

"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. This part of India has always been a great resource of young footballers and such programmes will help our grassroots-level trainers improve their teaching techniques and develop integration between our communities through sport," SAI Guwahati director Subhash Basumatary said.

Coaches who complete Phase 1 training, will undergo the Phase 2 and Phase 3 programmes with the objective of developing Premier Skills coach educators who can then cascade training to new coaches in their communities.

Premier Skills uses football to develop a brighter future for youth around the world, drawing upon the global appeal of the Premier League and its expertise in delivering community programmes in the UK.