PS BALI
Following the footprints of his father, Mohammad Yousuf Dar, ace footballer of his time, AFC "C" and "B" license owned Coach, Sajid Dar started his football career in 1992, and never looked back. After representing almost all the big named football clubs in the state, and playing all in maximum number of big tournaments in and out of J&K state, Sajid opted to serve state with his panache of football and joined Kashmir University.Terming lack of proper coaching at the grass root level for the inconsistency of Jammu and Kashmir football team in major national football tournaments, despite having great talent, Dar shared that proper coaching at the grass root level is very important. In a crispy talk with Newspoint, Sajid Dar shared various pros and cons of the state football, besides his personal football career and needs to upgrade state football.
Excerpts…
*Throw some light on your childhood days. How did your interest in football emerge? When did you think of football as your career?
Dar: I did not take up the football till my schooling was over. However on the other side my father who was then the star footballer of the state and country as well used to take me with him to witness the matches and I was impressed by my father at my early age. I Started my career when I joined S P School in the year 1992 and from their itself I decided that I will choose it as my profession now. Football seems to be running in my family blood. I am always proud to be the son of the legendry footballer of the state and besides getting impressed by my father, Mohammad Yousuf Dar and was also impressed by my cousin Aslam Parveez Dar, who is also an ex-international player.I got the selection in my first trial at SP School in 1992. I was selected for district championship before getting selection for Junior National Championship in the same year, Then i joined Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) Club of Biscoe which was then the upcoming and most fan following team of the State. The players like Ishfaq Ahmed, Manzoor Dar, Majid Dar Intikhab Alam, Hilal Rasool and myself started our career from YMCA. I Captained, YMCA in many state and national level events including Federation Cup. After YMCA I played for City Club for more then three years and after that In Iqbal Sports and soon after that I started my coaching career.
* Can you tell us the process of obtaining a coaching license? Our readers might be interested to know the process. Can a person without any first class football playing experience go on to be a coach? Are there any restrictions?
Dar: There is a criteria set by the Universities/Institutes who are conducting different coaching courses for the coaches and as a candidate u have to fulfill all the criteria, like in NSNIS the eligibility they have set is that the qualification must be graduate and he must have represented state at various senior national tournaments in their respective discipline. There are coaches who are qualified but don't have the sound sports background and If you really want to set the example, then you must possess both, a sound academic and sports background as well.* What is the "special thing" about Football, which makes it stand apart from the rest of the sports?Dar: Football is the most popular game of the world. Football is world-wide sport, almost everyone plays. No other sport is being played and watched by so many people. It can be played all over the world, and with fairly cheap equipment. One can choose football as a profession.
* You have had an extensive coaching experience. Please tell us about your tenure as the head coach KU?
Dar: I started my coaching career soon after getting diploma form NSNIS Patiala. I got my first coaching assignment in the year 2004-05 when Dr K A Tarzan former DPE of Kashmir University called me to coach Kashmir University Football Team.
After that I was appointed the coach of under 21 football team by JKFA and besides JKFA also gave me some assignments for the Youth Development Programme and in the 2006 I got appointed as the Football Coach of Kashmir University in the Physical education and sports department. Recently I also attended the youth development programme organized by AIFF at Goa. And I am also coaching one of the leading Clubs of the State Iqbal Sports and recently we have won the All India Police Martyrs Football Tournament. Besides me and Hilal Rasool of JK bank are among the few coaches of the country who have done diploma in football coaching and also AFC "C" and "B" license courses.
* Please tell us about Your new project. Do you see such an initiative being a success in J&K.
Dar: Football has game me name as well as fame and it is only because of football I am being recognized I have devoted my life to football and I want to do something for the betterment and upliftment of football. As all the football lovers know that few years back we launched FPWA in Srinagar and FPWA is planning to start a football academy in the month of May or June, this year with the collaboration with SPUNP group and football by Carlos Queiroz and by the blessings of Almighty and the support of the football loving people of J&K it will certainly be the new beginning of JK football. Insha Allah.
* Education and Sports are inter-related. How can these two avenues be combined so that there can be an all round development of a child plus their interest in sports grow.
Dar: The benefits of sport reach beyond the impact on physical well-being and the value of the educational benefits of sport should not be under-estimated. In addition to physical development, education and sport also have strong influences on inclusion and community building, character-building and community safety.
* What changes do you think J&K Football should incorporate if it is to be successful?
Dar: We are always talking that we have a lot of talent in JK. But why we are not consistently performing on the national level, why we cannot produce players like Mehraj, Ishfaq, Arun Malhaotra regularly. The answer is that there is lack of proper coaching at the grass root level, which is very important. I have seen coaches very keen to take assignments when it comes to the senior national events but nobody bother's to conduct the coaching classes for the young and budding footballers of the valley. I request the JKFA and other organisations who are directly or indirectly involved with football that their should be the regular coaching camps for the youth development and each coaches and teams performance should be monitor regularly.
* What developments should we need to create club culture in State?
Dar: As we all know that football is the most popular sport of our state. Apart from the departmental teams like JK Bank, JK Forest, JK police, who are atleast offering jobs to the players but there is also a big role of the private clubs in the state and I hardly find any sponsors for those clubs. These clubs are been run by personal efforts of their respective managing bodies. And during the season the players and management face lot of problems like refreshment, playing kits, pocket money and the rehabilitation for the players. From my personal point of view if these clubs get the sponsors who can atleast fulfill these demands I hope more and more players will take interest to this game and definitely the competition level will also improve and when the competition level will improve we can improve our performance at the national level.
* What are your future plans?
Dar: I am a coach of Kashmir University Football Team and it is my dream that Kashmir University should qualify for the All India Inter Zone Football Tournament and after qualifying at least once we should be the champion's of All India Inter University as well.
