Coaches’ Coaching-A Recipe To Win

BY RAZIUDDIN AHMAD

Badminton is a versatile game which requires a various technical, tactical, physical and psychological demands. It is difficult to know which area the most important is as:

 

First it depends on the age and the standard of the player. Here technique is important for a beginner to learn, while for the elite the physical and psychological aspects may be the most important area to work on.

 

Secondly a well organised tactical plan increases self confidence.

 

Thirdly a good technique can compensate to some extant for poor physical fitness.

 

But a poor physical fitness could ruin the good technique disabling the player to continue the match. It clearly shows how important physical fitness is.

 

Here comes the coach, who imparts his / her role to enhance the above mentioned factors in players for the fruitful results. The coach’s job is to equip the players with the ability to detect changes, analyze what goes and what not, and then apply the next move.

 

The marvellous results can be achieved only when if the coaches are well educated, having a sound knowledge of coaching in their relevant sports, abilities to demonstrate and communicate the task accordingly. The coaches are the responsible for the best out comes from the players.

 

At least every country of the world believes in the coach education and put it on the top as the better coach, the better sports.

 

Unluckily in Pakistan this important department is completely neglected. We have limited qualified coaches in different sports all over the country which are on finger tips. It is impossible to improve our sports in this condition.

 

At present many senior players in different games who do not have the required coaching qualifications are delivering the outdated, poor orthodox techniques to the modern aged players, which do not meet the international standard. Hence the line of progress on the graph shows continues decline.

 

In Pakistan I found many sports federations which do not come out of the disputes of parallel bodies, do not have the abilities to establish an office on national level or qualified staff, their tournament calendar is for press release only, lack of national interest and like to enjoy foreign trips only, how can pay attention to the coach education programs which is pure technical field.

 

In badminton I came to know about a Technical Committee comprised on a few coaches and umpires, framed in 2006 for the casting of vote in PBF election. Since then it did not hold any single meeting on national level till December 2010 when PBF splits into two bodies.

 

This committee was the responsible for providing the update knowledge and organize courses for national coaches and umpires. But it is still in question why it came into existence? Hopeless coaches / umpires again joined the same committee with a little alteration for another four year term recently.

 

On behalf of PBF, I was the third coach to conduct the coaching course for the national coaches since 57 years in the history of Pakistan badminton.

 

Further it was quite disappointed decision from PBF for all the coaches who grabbed the top six positions in Lahore and Islamabad courses respectively were victimized by the flood of favouritism when Naeem Bijli (Lahore) was appointed as national junior coach for the tour to India in 2008. According to the results he is an average coach who can not jot down a single line in English properly. Do we really think to improve the badminton in the country?

 

A very interesting case for perusal happened in Nepal International 2008. It clearly shows the negligence of rules by a casual national coach from PSB Lahore

 

“Pakistani pair Rizwan and Attique were playing against their Indian rivals. Umpire and Match Referee were also from India. Pakistani pair established well pressure on Indian pair and were near to win. At this crucial stage the Umpire gave a wrong decision against our shuttlers and said the shuttle touched the shirt of Attique, hence the points goes to India. Here Rizwan protested and the Umpire changed his words and said in actual the shuttle touched with the hair of Attique. Rizwan started play again but soon he remembered that Attique does not have hair, he has a clean head. He again approached the Umpire and grabbed his attention to the hair less head of Attique. Then Umpire apologised but Pakistani pair had lost the match”.

 

Where was the coach? Why he did not make a written complained to the Match Referee who can change the decision or have the authority to fine the umpire accordingly?

 

If there is any shame and love for country left in our authorities, this event should compel them to start an immediate coach education program on national level.