Shehzad inducted into SITREFESP Coaches Education Panel

KARACHI: Former Pakistan national football team coach and Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) Director Technical Shehzad Anwar has been inducted into the Coaches Education Panel of the Union of Sao Paulo State Soccer Coaches (SITREFESP) for the year 2016-17.

Shehzad, who has also completed his pro-license coaching course, is the first coach from South Asia to have been inducted into the panel by Sitrefesp, which is delivering its services for enhancing coaches education in the developing countries around the world.

“I am really thankful to Sitrefesp for getting my services for the great cause of coaches’ education,” Shehzad told ‘The News’ on Thursday.

“I will try my level best to provide, particularly, Pakistani coaches with an opportunity to enhance their coaching skills. You know, for such courses coaches normally need to meet their own air-fare expenses,” Shehzad added.

There are around 20 coaches on the panel of Sitrefesp which besides South Americans, also has Asians and Africans.

Shehzad coached Pakistan in the 2013 SAFF Cup in Kathmandu when Pakistan’s former Serbian coach Zavisa Milosavljevic was removed following the team’s 3-0 defeat in the historic friendly against Afghanistan in Kabul.

In a letter addressed to the Brazil’s ambassador in Pakistan, Sitrefesp said that Shehzad’s selection has been made on the basis of his professional qualification, experience as a coach and educator and his persistent involvement with Sitrefesp since 2011.

“The Sitrefesp coaches education panel will be responsible for coaches education development, including Sitrefesp coaching convention and other related matters,” the letter added. “As a member of Sitrefesp coaches education panel, he would be responsible for coaches education development in the South Asian region. Sirefesp plans to promote football in the developing countries. In the first step, it aims to enhance the skills of coaches because better coaches produce better players,” it informed.

“Sitrefesp has a plan to organise the 47th Coaching Course for professional coaches from May 30 to June 3, 2016 in Sao Paulo. Three Pakistani coaches and four from Afghanistan had attended the last edition in November 2015. In this edition, we would invite coaches from South Asia to attend the 47th coaching course with the recommendation of Sitrefesp coaches education panel’s member Shehzad Anwar,” the letter, written by Jose A Nogueira Junior of Sitrefesp Technical Department, said.

Shehzad said that he was also thankful to the Brazil’s ambassador in Pakistan for his support.

Shehzad also went to Brazil several times for different assignments. He is yet to do an assignment relating to his pro-diploma for around six months and is looking forward to Brazil for the purpose.

“I have done some of my coaching education assignments in Brazil. I also analysed Brazil national Under-17 team and a couple of Brazilian clubs. I hope Sitrefesp will also provide me with an opportunity to do my six months assignment in Brazil,” Sargodha-born Shehzad conceded.

To a query, he said he would request the Sitrefesp that besides enhancing coaches’ education of Pakistan and other South Asian region, Pakistani players should also be provided with an opportunity to play for some clubs so that they could hone their skills.

“Effort would be made to adjust players in various clubs turn by turn so that they could be groomed for future challenges. They would be in a much better shape when football activities are revived in Pakistan,” Shehzad appended.