Coaches go online to help peers, booters

"As there are hardly any fitness trainers at club level, most coaches have to look after the fitness aspect of the players. So I think the initiative of sharing fitness knowledge has helped coaches who have participated in this online class," was the simple admission from Haider Kabir Prince, head coach of Rising Star Club of Chottagram Premier Division Football League for the last 18 years.

Maruful Haque, Saiful Bari Titu and Julfikar Mahmud Mintu, three of the top coaches of the country had arranged a discussion on fitness of footballers for the coaches, players and organisers online in a time of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

AFC A licence holder Titu and Mintu presented aerobic and anaerobic fitness training respectively while UEFA A licence holder Maruful discussed strength and endurance. The online classes were attended by 60 persons on Friday and Saturday.

"If any player has good skill and technique but doesn't have good fitness, then he won't be effective. So he mut have the knowledge of how to maintain fitness and his coaches will play a key role in this regard," AFC B licence holder Prince said, adding that he also checked whether he was in the right direction of training by discussing the method with the speakers."   

AFC A licence holder Masud Parvez Kaiser, assistant coach of Sheikh Russel KC, also attended the online discussion to rekindle the lessons he had forgotten.

"It was a good initiative indeed because there is no limit to learning. They discussed how to work with the players' fitness and coaches at different level. I believe I have been benefited by the discussion as I remembered lessons I had forgotten," said Kaiser, who is also involved with national team.

BKSP coach Imrul Hasan Imu, who played for Brothers Union last season, said, "I want to know more about fitness and training and I have got the guidelines from them. As I work with age-group players, I learned what is necessary for fitness training of the budding players. After the discussion I feel I can train the players in a more effective way."

"There were many things to learn from the discussion and I think continuous discussions will help the coaches and virtually benefit the country's football," said another BKSP coach Mustakim Wazed.

Titu however was a bit frustrated after the low turnout from the Bangladesh Premier League clubs' dugouts.

"We arranged the discussion from our responsibility. If anyone is benefited, then it is our success," Titu said. "It was just a token discussion but the individual has to study to improve as we have just shared our knowledge and experience with them."

"Muktijoddha Sangsad coach Abul Kaiyum Sentu, Bashundhara Kings assistant coach Abu Faisal and national women's team coach Golam Rabbani Choton participated in the discussion, but there were no other coaches from the Bangladesh Premier League.  I think this discussion would have been far better had other BPL coaches participated," Titu lamented.

The former national team coach also informed that they are planning to hold such discussion classes more in future but everything depends on the interest of the participants.

Tarafder donates to struggling coaches

Sports organiser Tarafder Ruhul Amin came to help the insolvent football coaches at the district and divisional level.

He donated Tk 25 lakh, providing financial assistance to 200 coaches who are in trouble due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tarafder said that they enlisted three or four coaches from each of the 64 districts through the district football associations.

The president of the Bangladesh District and Divisional Football Associations (BDDFA) also informed that he would help coaches involved in lower-tier football leagues in Dhaka after scrutinising them though Dhaka Club Association.