Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Ramallah: Twenty-two coaches in Palestine, the nation recently crowned the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 champions, have finished their AFC ‘A’ Coaching Certificate Course.
The high-level course, which started on May 1, was the first such course held in Palestine and was instructed by Bader Abdul Jalil of Kuwait and Ahmad Omer SH Festok from Qatar and assisted by Jordan’s Waleed Fatafta.
President of Palestinian Football Association (PFA) General Jibril Rajoub, during the course closing ceremony, stressed on the importance of developing national coaches and vowed to provide them with all the necessary means to develop Palestinian football.
Ahmad Omer said he was glad with the development of football in Palestine, especially in the training and technical sectors and considered it a plus point to add to the Palestinian Football Association. He hoped the PFA would keep doing the good work to reach its goals.
FIFA President Joseph Blatter also visited the participants during his recent visit to Palestine where he thanked them for their participation in the course and encouraged them to concentrate on the development of their coaching capability.
Just two days after the course concluded, Palestine stormed into the annals of history as they emerged champions of the last edition of the AFC Challenge Cup held in Maldives. With this, they earned the last ticket to the AFC Asian Cup 2015 to be held in Australia.
Mohamed Basir of the AFC Technical Division, which oversees technical education for the Member Associations, congratulated Palestine on winning the AFC Challenge Cup and hoped it would be an impetus for further growth.
“Firstly, allow me to congratulate you in winning the AFC Challenge Cup!” said Basir to PFA Technical Director Ahmed Al Hasan.
“I hope this win will inspire all the people of Palestine and also to further improve your technical standards through the education of your coaches.”
The ‘A’ certificate course is open to holders of the AFC 'C' and 'B' certificates as well as other coaching requirements.
'A' certificate holders can, after meeting certain coaching prerequisites, go on to take the continent’s highest coaching credential, the AFC Professional Coaching Diploma, which is the necessary qualification to manage a top club or national team.
Photo: PFA