Training camp for I-league coaches

Finally,in an effort to bring in some professionalism into Indian football, the Asian Football Confederation has invited 10 I-League club managersto its general manager seminar which is to be held at Kuala Lumpur on the 28th and the 29th of October. The Asian body has long been keen to upgrade football administration in India and, particularly the 'showpiece' I-League, which kicked off this season with the motto of becoming 'a complete professional event'. But it was only after AFC adopted a tough stand that the clubs began fulfilling some of the AFC's pro-league criteria,which include that a club has to have proper commercial and legal entities before it can be allowed to participate in the AFC Champions league.The presence of Paul Barbar, executive director of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, definately added something. Barbar, who had visited India last month and even had talks with AIFF on a possible development programme, will talk on how to manage a pro club. Besides the Englishman, the AFC pro-league deputy chairman Tokuaki Suzuki will explain the objectives and activities of AFC professional league project and how a general manager should function. The AFC hopes to raise the level of general managers in Asia and then aims to increase the professionalism of the personnel who are managing the clubs in AFC Champions League scheduled for next year. Besides India, representatives from Australia, China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE,Uzbekistan and Vietnam.