December 27, 2025 03:51 am (IST)
Follow us:
AFC Pro-Diploma Course gains momentum
New Delhi, May 13 (IBNS): The third and final module of the AFC Pro-Diploma Course 2014, Japan gained further momentum with the course coordinator, National coach Wim Koevermans and the 12 participants course visiting one of the Premier Professional Football Clubs of Japan, Cerezo Osaka FC and visiting its state of the art facilities.
Right from the quality of the football pitches, the number of training grounds, equipments, organisation, indoor facilities, gymnasium, conference rooms and other units, the Club exemplifies state of the art footballing infrastructure required for elite level football.
Koevermans said the visit gave the participants the chance to have a first-hand feel of the facilities in a “top Footballing Nation.”
“The aim is to take it to the highest level possible and this visit abroad gives the Participants a chance to see how Football, and the organisational structure in a top Football ranked Country should be,” he told www.the-aiff.com.
The participants also had a meeting with Cerezo’s Head Coach, Ranko Popovic and its Chairman Masao Okano.
“It’s mainly about how Football Clubs are organised and the role a Coach plays in it," Koevermans said.
“The experience has been great and visiting Cerezo Osaka FC has been an eye opener for everybody. The philosophy of the Club is very clear with their total commitment. They are also very proud of the Players they developed,” he added.
The Club, has over the years, produced some of the beat talents from Japan who have made a mark in World Football.
Takshi Inui (Eintracht Frankfurt), Hiroshi Kiyotake (FC Nurnberg), Kim Bo-Kyung (Cardiff City), Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United) have all been cadets of the Club.
Furthermore, in January, 2014 Cerezo signed Diego Forlan of Uruguay who became one of their top foreign recruits along with Serbia’s Gojko Kacar.
The course had earlier got underway from May 6, 2014 with a series of theoretical and practical sessions at the J-Green football Centre, Sakai with the participants conducting various practical sessions with Players from local Universities and Academies.
Thangboi Singto, Head Coach of Shillong Lajong FC, also one of the Participants for the Course said, the “professionalism in Japan is just unbelievable.”
“Back Home, we often speak about professionalism. Japan serves as the perfect example for it -- be in Management, Coaching, Infrastructure or the approach to the game. It is an education for all to understand how the Japanese are competing with the Best of the World,” he told www.the-aiff.com.
Santosh Kashyap complemented Singto.
“Seeing is believing! It’s a lesson to watch the manner things are implemented. The commitment, the work ethics and the dedication is something we have to learn,” he said.
“For a Coach, it is important to implement them as much as possible. The approach to Youth Development and the path of the graduation of the Youth Players into the Senior Team also has an amazing ratio. They have every right to feel proud about it,” Kashyap said.
The participants also got the opportunity to watch the AFC Champions League match between Cerezo Osaka FC and Guangzhou Evergrande FC held at the Yanmar Nagai Stadium, the Home Stadium of Cerezo.
Cerezo also happens to be one of the very few clubs in the world to have 2 stadia, the other being Kincho Stadium.
The team now moves to Shizuoka for the 2nd part of the module in Tokinosumika.
(Image Credit: AIFF Media)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
India announces T20 WC 2026 squad: Shubman Gill misses out, Axar Patel back as vice-captain
Sat, Dec 20 2025
Sourav Ganguly sues local Argentina Fan Club president for Rs. 50 crore for linking him to Messi event chaos
Fri, Dec 19 2025
'How can Gambhir be a coach to a leg spinner or a wicketkeeper?': Kapil Dev backs manager-style leadership in Team India
Fri, Dec 19 2025
Why India’s first Women’s World Cup victory meant more to Mithali Raj than anyone else
Thu, Dec 18 2025
Smog forces abandonment of India vs South Africa 4th T20I in Lucknow
Wed, Dec 17 2025
1996 World Cup hero Arjuna Ranatunga faces arrest in oil scam probe
Tue, Dec 16 2025