LAHORE, Feb 23: AFC C-Certificate Football Coaching Course 2009, under Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), commenced on Monday conducted by AFC appointed instructor Ali Akbar Pourmoslemi.

In all 23 coaches are participating in the 13-day course.

He is third Iranian to run such a course in Pakistan during

the past 20 months after

Majid Jalali (June 2007) and Ardeshir Pournemat (December 2007).

Ali Akbar introduced the participants coaching profession and laws of the game in theory session while practical session comprised warming up and ball feeling to improve movement and rhythm.

The PFF has approved Siddique Sheikh (Karachi), Arif Siddiqui (Lahore) and Bilal Ahmed Butt (Lahore) to assist the Iranian.

Ali Akbar said that playing football, for most of the people was an easy sport. But to be aware of the technical aspects of the game was a different ball game altogether.

“Although the sport is gaining popularity, the training infrastructure is woefully inadequate,” he said.

The participants will undergo 4 sessions - comprising two practical and two theory sessions. While the practical sessions will be held in the morning and evening at Punjab Stadium, the theory classes are being arranged at Auditorium of FIFA Football House.

The practical sessions include imparting of training on playing techniques and the theory classes focuses on rules of the game through visual medium, sports medicine and dealing with injuries on the field and nutrition, among other things.

Participants:

Punjab (6): Yasir Mehmood, Abdul Rehman, Mohsin Ejaz, Qamar Rizwan, Aamir Salim, Mukhtar Ali.

Sindh (5): Ghulam Sarwar, Sheikh Shahid Munir, Ghulam Rasheed, Rashid Siddiqui, Syed Nasir Ali.

NWFP (4) : Kamaluddin, Shahzad Khan, Abdul Shakoor, Ismail Jan

Balochistan (2) : Azizullah, Sikandar Ali.

Islamabad (4) : Javed Ali Soomro, Nazakat Ali, Rasheed Ahmed, Malik Abdul Rasheed.

Wapda (1): Ashfaq Ahmed.

Army (1) : Mohammad Azhar