Imphal, May 5: Stephen David Darby has coached football teams in several countries and is now in Manipur to train youngsters on how to play the game.
The Manipur Development Society (MDS) and the All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) have brought in the internationally renowned coach to conduct a two-month residential coaching course that will be held at Khuman Lampak sports complex in Imphal.
Darby was born in Liverpool, England, but is now an Australian citizen. He is a well-known coach who trained Argentina’s squad in Sydney for two weeks before the 1994 World Cup. He was also a guest coach at AC Milan in 1995 and coached Mohun Bagan for three months in 2011. He has attended seminars and training sessions in various countries. MDS contacted him through its consultant in Calcutta, Rajiv Ghose.
Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh opened the residential football development programme at the indoor hall of the National Sports Academy here this afternoon.
Darby will be assisted by two local coaches, AFC A licence holder L. Nandakumar Singh and AFC B licence holder L. Chaoba Devi. They will select 30 to 40 players, between 15 and 18, to attend the coaching camp at the recently laid astro turf football ground at Khuman Lampak here.
This is the first time that Manipur has engaged a foreign coach for an intensive course in football. The project will cost Rs 35 lakh. The programme is designed to develop skill and tactics, physical and mental conditioning and also to impart knowledge of emerging trends of modern football practices to the selected boys and girls.
“This is my first visit to Manipur. But, I have seen your boys outside the state and they are very talented. I will train the boys and girls twice daily. The duration will depend on the weather. My job here is to form a professional football team at the end of the training programme,” Darby said. Manipur is already a football powerhouse with more than 100 boys playing for the top clubs of the country, including Prayag United. The state now has one international player, Sushil Kumar, who is now with Shillong Lajong.
This is also the first time that MDS, a government agency, is dabbling in sports. The agency is normally engaged in infrastructure development. “We have taken up a project called social development initiative. The football training course comes under it. Football is the most popular game in Manipur and we have already seen our boys performing excellently outside. So the agency chose football,” ” said Y. Ningthem, project director of MDS.
Coaches in Manipur are looking forward to reaping the benefits of the course, as a foreign coach will train the players for the first time. “Manipur is one of the top five states in football. Our boys and girls do not find much exposure. The coaching will give them knowledge of football. After two to three years, those taking part in the course can become national and international players,” Nandakumar Singh said.
