ITANAGAR, 25 Aug: The Sports Department conducted a two-day refresher course for in-service coaches and instructors to enhance their skill and equip them with the latest knowledge and practices in sports.
The course, themed ‘Empowering coaches – empowering champions’ was held at DK Convention Hall here, and was attended by 78 coaches, instructors, and ‘past champion athletes’ working under the Sports Department, the Sports Authority of Arunachal (SAA), and Khelo India centres across the state.
The intensive training programme focused on modern coaching techniques, sports science, and athlete development.
The first day’s technical sessions covered a wide range of topics, including ‘integrated support team approach’, ‘psychology for high-performance athletes’, ‘sports science integration,’ ‘injury prevention & recovery management,’ ‘coaching para athletes’, and ‘identifying hypomobility issues among elite athletes’.
The outdoor fitness and wellness sessions conducted on the second day at Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy complex included zumba/aerobics, followed by relaxation techniques by RGU’s Dr Anil Mili.
Technical sessions throughout the day at DK Convention Hall covered various topics, including ‘long-term athlete development & talent pathways’ ‘sports science integration’, ‘performance analysis & technology’, ‘national sports repository system’, ‘understanding high-performance sport’, and ‘building a high-performance culture’.
Addressing the participants in the valedictory function, SAA Chairman John Neelam hailed the commitment of the coaches and assured them of continued support.
The SAA chairman said that he would work closely with coaches and athletes and take up their grievances with the government. Neelam also assured that he would streamline sports associations and ensure proper utilization of sports infrastructure.
He applauded Sports Officer Nada Apa for taking up the first-of-its-kind initiative, and encouraged him to continue with such courses to enhance coaches’ skills, which would ultimately boost grassroots sports development.
The experts/resource persons for the course were drawn from various institutions, including Assam’s Guwahati-based LNIPE, KISCE, Itanagar, Rajiv Gandhi University, PSSA, Miao, NIT Jaipur, and Dibrugarh University.
Dr Anil Mili, assistant professor and head of sports psychology department of Rajiv Gandhi University was the course coordinator.
The refresher course was inaugurated by Sports Director Tadar Appa.