A combined effort is vital to raise Sri Lanka football
Football experts over the years have discussed ways and means to improve the game in our country. The late Neville Abeyagunawardene was one of the pioneers who campaigned for a cleaner soccer administration. Time and again I wrote without, prejudice, fear or favour a lot, during the last decade or so. However, nothing came out of it, for reasons the whole country is now aware of.
I hope with the new leadership, the Controlling Body that was formed a few weeks ago will take appropriate steps to give our football a new direction.
What spectators see on the field is instant action and not planned reaction.
There are four categories of people involved in the sport – the player, coaches, referees and administrators, in addition to the spectators who are not directly involved with the Controlling Body but plays an important role in patronizing the sport for its popularity and fame.
These people must work as a team if not, a difference or division among anyone of them could retard the progress of the game, which caused immeasurable damage and destruction to football during the last two decades. Of the four categories of people involved in promoting this game I would consider the player is the most important. Without the players the other three categories of people would have no meaning. The players must understand and realise their responsibilities and duties towards the game, then the officials and the administrators.
It is my view that the development of the game depends seventy five percent on the dedication and discipline of players, in addition to other factors such as training, skill, techniques, etc… The Controlling Body must evolve a scheme or give incentives and encouragement to the players to train by themselves so as to reach appreciable standards both in skills and physical conditioning. If one looks at the present day players both at club and national level, it will not be surprising to note that the majority of them cannot kick with both feet effectively, leave alone control the ball at a speed. Heading the ball is a lost art, reading the game of the opponents and planning an attack or counter move is almost non- existent. What we see on the field is instant action and not planned reaction. It is these aspects that makes play entertaining and interesting – richer and meaningful in quality, which – the spectators enjoy and pay without any reservations to witness matches.
It is the qualified and experienced Coaches could only instill these finer points to the players. Here again, we must have the right mentors to do so. We have coaches and coaches in the country but less than a handful who could be classed as exemplary and effective teachers.
A successful coach is a person who is both professionally knowledgeable and exemplary in conduct, also one who could produce fruitful results from whatever level of teams to handle.
Coaching, though in itself is a vast subject, is essentially a simple exercise to those who know genuinely, the finer art of the profession. It is certainly not the high sounding credentials, certificate or licenses gained here and abroad that makes one an effective coach. Knowledge alone will not suffice. Regularity and punctuality at training, credibility and integrity in his dealings particularly in the selection of players has to do a lot with it. The ability of the coach to understand the players’ social and psychological condition – the players’ skills and tactical limitations and to be able to offer simple corrective measures which essentially matters in the end.Unfortunately, in our football, the absence of purposeful and meaningful patterns of play has caused a slump in our playing standards.
Perhaps this is due to the players not being taught the ABC of football at inception. They have been wrongly handled by incompetent individuals who call themselves as qualified coaches.
When a player is not properly handled when they are young and taught their basic skills and individual responsibilities, things become difficult when they are matured. This is the big problem we are now facing to produce quality players to our national squads. Even if
FFSL of President, Ranjith Rodrigo
you hire the best Soccer Coach in the world with this type of quality players he will certainly not be able to produce fruitful results in international competitions. I don’t blame the poor players or their parents for this. It is the duty and responsibility of the administrators to draw up a sensible programme to train our young players from the grass root level with a meaningful pattern of play under knowledgeable and experience coaches.
Untruly and un-sporty behaviour among players, both on and off the field has increased alarmingly. During our playing days we never doubted the referee’s decision, leave alone question or challenge him. Today, not only do the players frequently question the referee, the challenge, openly insult and in some instance even assault them. Much of these incidents are due to the ignorance of the laws of the game. I would suggest that the Controlling Body through periodical seminars, educate club players the interpretation and application of the laws of the game. In fact, some referees too are to be blamed for this downward trend. Some referees frequently use the yellow card and the red card, with the aim of bringing the game under his control. This action is unjust and unfair and pushes a well trained team to a receiving end, particularly in a crucial match.
Back to administrators, the game needs men of intellect, experience and integrity. They may not have attained high quality playing experience, but they must necessarily have wisdom and prudence, and above all possess unshakeable integrity. They must work as a team without pulling the legs of another. This was one of the main reasons why we miserly fail in the past to develop the sport. At least, now support and assist those who honestly work with football in heart.
Conducting tournaments on time is another important aspect. The Controlling Body must first, as an example, run competitions within a specified period. These Competitions should be repeated annually on the same basis. It is only then that traditions are built up and both players and spectators could eagerly look forward to these competitions.
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