GIFT 2014: Youngsters should be allowed to play without the pressure of results – Arthur Papas

GIFT (Goa International Football Table) 2014 kicks off later today with a host of big names scheduled to discuss about several issues related to Indian football.

Dempo coach Arthur Papas will be one of the key panelists and looking ahead to the event he told Sportskeeda, “It is important that events like this occur as they create healthy discussion about ways Indian football can move forward. Also, it is encouraging that Goa as a state has taken such an initiative to research and evaluate ways in which football can be developed at the youth and grassroots level as from my time here there is much interest but a lack of alignment amongst all the various states, clubs and academies which results in gaping holes in the whole process.”

The topic about which Papas is going to speak is ‘Talent Scouting – Spotting the right one’ and giving a little insight about the same, the Australian stated, “I think before we begin looking at specific details for what you look for in an individual, there first needs to be a platform developed where young talents can be trained in professional environments by highly skilled youth specialist coaches, in addition to this they need to be able to be part of a program that runs for 11 months per year and look to also receive matches in which they are placed against similar level resistance, at the moment this does not even exist.”

“From an individual point of view the attitude must change from one which purely focuses on identifying footballers due to their physical capabilities and instead the attention should focus on players with high technical capabilities and football insight, players who can make the correct decisions with minimal time and then execute due to their technical quality. Of course they will need to be good physically to play top level but I can assure you I have seen some very impressive athletes physically since coming to India but they are not able to play at a high level due to their lack of technical competence and tactical understanding,” the Australian added.

The former India Under-22 and Pailan Arrows coach also talked about the importance of giving youngsters the freedom to express themselves instead of putting them under the pressure of the results.

“At the young ages the players need to be allowed to play football without the pressure of the result, this way they do not have fear to be creative and experiment the skills and ideas they learn. Can you imagine if Messi or Ronaldo had been 14 and his coach told him that every time he got the ball he should kick it long to preserve the result of the team?

“It is a major issue in India that the result in youth football outweighs the individual development of the player and is one of many reasons why the ability to develop a world class footballer is not happening,” he opined.

Papas added, “Another example is my experience with the Arrows last season, now at this stage the result was more important as these boys were one step away from their first senior contract, however at times the short-term result was compromised to ensure they received the tools that will help them in the long-term, the results since are there to be seen as 12 months later many are now starting to be very influential within the I-League and even the senior national team.”