The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has concluded its first-ever D Certificate coaching course for deaf candidates on Sunday at the Reliance Foundation Young Champs facilities in Navi Mumbai.
Conducted under the aegis of the Western India Football Association (WIFA), the six-day programme saw participation from 23 active football coaches, all of whom were affiliated with the Indian NGO Slum Soccer.
The course was led by AIFF lead coach educator Shailesh Karkera, and supported by two Indian Sign Language interpreters from Slum Soccer, ensuring full accessibility for all participants, in the presence of AIFF's head of coach education Vivek Nagul.
Introduced in 2012, the AIFF D Certificate is an entry-level coaching qualification offered as part of the the federation's Coach Education Programme which at present has around 16,000 registered coaches on record.
Designed for aspiring coaches, the course blends theory and practical sessions, focusing on children's football, technical development, child safeguarding with a focus on the various aspects of the coaching process.