FIFA understands India's potential: Ariff

Muhiseen Ariff, RDO-FIFA Instructor is presently in New Delhi to conduct the Futuro III Referee Instructors Course. The hard taskmaster that he is, Ariff spoke to about the significance of the course, its objectives and much more. Excerpts of an interview by Upender Singh

What did you choose India for such a course and that too exclusively for Indian Referees?

India is a huge country. But it's not just about the size, rather, it's about the potential to produce quality referees and instructors. It's very rare that such a course is held exclusively for Instructors of a specific country. But FIFA agreed upon the same with an aim to develop more local instructors who can be elevated to higher levels.

What is the concept behind Futuro III?

Top-level football is already being played in India and to cope up with that, one needs good referees. And for good referees, you need good instructors. The basic concept of this course stays to increase the Technical and Physical know how of the Instructors. They need to catch up with World standards.

Where do you have to say about the participants in comparison to the World Standards?

All the participants were selected by the AIFF from different states. They are competent individuals. My assessment stays their knowledge needs to be polished a bit to help them understand the latest developments in the game which would uplift them to the World standards.

Keeping in mind India's potential, what is FIFA's future plan as far as India is concerned?

India stays one of the few countries in the sub-continent to have a Professional League. FIFA understands India's potential and Futuro III is just the first step in FIFA's scheme of things.