The Elite Coaches Refresher Programme, organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), concluded at the Reliance Corporate Park in Navi Mumbai on Monday, August 24, 2026..Conducted from August 21 to 24, the programme was hosted with the support of the Western India Football Association (WIFA) and Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC). The programme was conducted by AIFF Head of Coach Development Vivek Nagul and Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha.
The four-day programme provided a platform for strategic exchange, peer-to-peer review and practical knowledge sharing among experienced coaches and coach educators. The collaborative sessions enabled participants to exchange perspectives and experiences while engaging in discussions focused on coaching and technical development.
A total of 26 coaches and coach educators participated in the programme: Sanjoy Sen, Stanley Rozario, Karim Bencharifa, Naushad Moosa, Santosh Kashyap, Arata Izumi, Adrian Dias, Robin Charles, V Soundararajan, Sushant Naidu, Sankarlal Chakraborty, Thangboi Singto, Shanmugam Venkatesh, Caetano Pinho, Augusto Dsilva, Hilal Parray, Rajat Guha, Jayaraj G, Antonio Presley, Gavin Araujo, Abdul Siddique, Shinoj Madathil, Prashant Singh, Mihir Thakkar, Jayabrata Ghosh and Marcelino Pereira.
Speaking about the programme, AIFF Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha explained the importance of the refresher system and its role in maintaining coaching standards in the country.
“At the AFC and FIFA levels, football is constantly evolving and being upgraded across the world. Why should Indian coaches fall behind? That is why AIFF has introduced this course to help coaches develop and upgrade their coaching skills. Coaches will have to earn a total of 24 points over three years. AFC ‘A’ License holders can renew their licences by earning these points. This is a great initiative by AIFF to ensure that our coaches remain updated and continue to develop professionally.”
For coach Sanjoy Sen, the programme was as much about reconnecting with old colleagues as it was about learning new ideas..“After many years, I got the opportunity to spend four days with some of my old colleagues. It was a great experience and gave us the chance to exchange a lot of knowledge. I would like to applaud the AIFF for taking this initiative. I also got the opportunity to learn from the younger generation. There is no age limit when it comes to learning.”
Sen also highlighted the growing importance of technology in modern football. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used in world football, and it is important for Indian coaches to understand and stay updated on its applications. We all need to come together and think about how Indian football can progress over the next 20 years. The AIFF wants Indian coaches to take the initiative and move forward. All 26 coaches made presentations in our own areas, and I am very positive about the programme.”
Coach Karim Bencharifa summed up his thoughts as well: “I would like to thank Mr Pasha and Mr Nagul for the opportunity to attend the Elite Coaches Refresher Course. It was a valuable four days of learning, sharing experiences, discussing new ideas, and exchanging views on the modern game. It was also a pleasure to reconnect with respected colleagues and meet many promising young coaches. I was impressed by the excellent work being done in coach education and would like to congratulate the entire team for creating such a positive and enriching learning environment.”
