Coronavirus: All India Football Federation to hold Masters Programme exam online

The All India Football Federation has decided to hold its Masters Football Management programme entrance examination, scheduled for 29 March, online in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first set of entrance examination was conducted on 23 February across the country while the second set will be held on 29 March. Keeping the current health crisis in mind, the AIFF has decided to hold this exam online.

The AIFF Masters Football Management Programme is the country's flagship international one-year post graduate course implemented across three cities -- New Delhi (AIFF office), Mumbai (St. Xaviers College) and Cadiz in Spain.

India and ATK right-back Pritam Kotal said he would like to take up the course after he call it quits.

"AIFF Masters is a first-of-its-kind project taken by any of the country's sporting federations and it'll surely help the enthusiastic youngsters to pursue a professional career in sports, especially football. Indian Football is expanding and this initiative by AIFF will prove to be a pathbreaking one in the near future," the 26-year-old said.

"After hanging my boots, I'll surely give it a shot to pursue a professional career in football administration per se. As a player, I have learnt the challenges that we face and in the future, I'll look to work on them. AIFF Masters is a course which will help us get a clear view of football administration and operations." The students of this programme get a chance to spend a month in Cadiz, Spain, to experience and learn how a European football club is managed first hand.

The AIFF has signed an MoU with the club that plays in Spanish second division for this arrangement. "We have decided to organise the second instalment of CAT for the AIFF Masters online keeping the current pandemic situation in mind. "It'll help the examinees to appear for the entrance examination from their home, without disrupting the current situation where everyone has been asked to stay put," AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said.

"I have heard about the seriousness and enthusiasm amongst the students when the first instalment of the entrance examination was organised in February. We are expecting more students to appear for the entrance examination on 29th March." A stint with a UEFA-recognised club, which is fully paid for by the federation, gives a student a chance to obtain intensive and extensive experience in European club management, marketing, player management, scouting, analysis and operations.

Also Read: How FC Goa turned Fatorda into India’s first zero-waste stadium

Also Read: Chhetri joins Messi and others for FIFA’s campaign against coronavirus pandemic