AIFF technical panel backs Khalid Jamil for India coach job; Stephen Constantine, Stefan Tarkovic also in three-man shortlist
PANAJI: The technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has recommended Khalid Jamil as its top choice to fill the national coach vacancy, following the resignation of Manolo Marquez.
Should Jamil get the nod from the AIFF's executive committee, he will become the first Indian as full-time coach since Sukhvinder Singh in 2005. Two other Indians – Armando Colaco and Savio Medeira –held interim charges, following the sacking of Bob Houghton in 2011.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
'We had lot of applications, and after careful scrutiny, the technical committee has recommended three names to the executive committee,' AIFF's national team director Subrata Paul told TOI after the technical committee meeting on Wednesday.
'We believe in the potential of these three coaches. They can take our national team forward.'
Poll
Which candidate do you believe has the best chance of improving Indian football?
Khalid Jamil
Stephen Constantine
Stefan Tarkovic
Stephen Constantine, hoping for a third stint with the national team after winning four trophies in the past, is the second name on the list, while former Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan coach Stefan Tarkovic has also been shortlisted.
'All coaches have their own strong points. Khalid has done extremely well in the I-League and
Indian Super League
(ISL).
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Ngadirojo: New Container Houses – Take A Look At The Prices!
Container homes | Search ads
Learn More
Undo
Constantine knows Indian football inside out and India played well at the Asian Cup in 2019. Tarkovic has a good national team experience, after stints with Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan,' said another official.
The technical committee has backed Jamil for the top job, given his record in domestic football. Despite limited resources, the former India midfielder won the I-League with Aizawl FC, scripting one of Indian football's most remarkable stories in 2017.
He then caught everyone's attention with semifinal spots in the ISL with NorthEast and Jamshedpur FC, a side he continues to coach.
'The AIFF will now speak with the coaches and look at their (salary) demands. If Khalid agrees to the terms, he will get the India job,' said another official.
Besides the technical committee, Khalid has also got the backing of Dronacharya Award winners, Armando Colaco and Bimal Ghosh, both of whom were consulted as advisors to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.
According to sources, Constantine too has support within the committee, chaired by former India captain IM Vijayan. India went from 173 to 97 in FIFA rankings between 2015 and 2018 when Constantine was at the helm of affairs. The English coach, who last managed Pakistan, won four trophies with the national team: LG Cup (2002), SAFF Cup (2015), Tri Nation Series (2017) and Inter-Continental Cup (2018).
From the 170 who applied for the national team job, the list was pruned to 20 and presented before the technical committee which met virtually on Wed. National team director Subrata Paul and technical director Syed Sabir Pasha also attended the meeting.
For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the
India vs England Test match
here.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
12 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Salty, crybaby' Ben Stokes becomes centre of Internet's ‘no-handshake' meme fest; Jadeja farms ‘infinte aura'
As the heat on the 'no-handshake' controversy at the Manchester Test turned up, the Internet also got to doing the thing it does best – a meme fest. This time, England captain Ben Stokes was facing the heat for being 'salty' and was called a 'crybaby'. Meanwhile, Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja 'farmed infinite aura' points with the netizens. After KL Rahul and Shubman Gill were dismissed in the first session of play on Day 4 of the Manchester Test, India's hope of securing a draw seemed bleak, and England looked favourites to win the match once again. However, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar stuck around batting for two full sessions to ensure that only a draw was likely. Realising this, English skipper Ben Stokes decided not to put any more pressure on his bowlers and suggested a handshake to end the match ahead of schedule. As Jadeja was batting on 89 and Washington Sundar on 80, the Indian batters refused the handshake, wanting some kind of reward for their hard-fought innings in the form of centuries. The English team, however, were not pleased. Stokes and his teammates immediately began trying to convince the Indian players to change their minds, with the England captain even suggesting Jadeja could bring up his ton against part-time bowler Harry Brook. Both Jadeja and Sundar reached their respective centuries in the coming few overs, and the match eventually ended in a draw once that was done, with Stokes still not looking pleased with how things had turned out. A social media user said, 'This is how they react… Ben Stokes couldn't handle a little rejection. India said 'no' to his draw offer, and he had a full-blown ego meltdown. Skipped the handshake with Jadeja…he was that hurt! Come on, Ben… don't be salty, be sporty.' 'Seriously Ben Stokes???? No handshake??' asked another. 'What a crybaby. Test hundred is always special for everyone yrrrr,' exclaimed a user. Another added, 'Fcking salty englishmen.' 'Stokes should be grateful Jadeja & Washi walked off after scoring centuries, Virat Kohli would have batted the entire 15 overs had crybaby Ben tried this nonsense with him,' quipped one user. 'No team in world cricket have ever spoken the most about the spirit of game yet played against the spirit of the game as much as Ben Stokes and his team have done,' a netizen highlighted. 'Not seen a more pathetic opponent in Cricket than England,' said another. An English supporter also slammed Stokes, and said, 'Big England supporter obviously. But this evening's shenanigans exhibit nicely why we are the most disliked team in world cricket.' Star Sports joined in to say, 'Scored a hundred, saved the Test, farmed infinite aura! Ravindra Jadeja didn't hesitate till the end.'
Mint
12 minutes ago
- Mint
Gautam Gambhir, Washington Sundar laud Rishabh Pant's fighting spirit in Manchester Test: ‘Country is proud'
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant showed great tenacity and grit when he came on to bat in the first innings of the Manchester Test despite having a fractured toe. The left-handed batter had hurt his foot badly earlier in the innings but, seeing the situation of the match, decided to come back to the ground — with a roaring applause from the crowd — and take his team to a position of strength. Pant was even seen coming to the ground in crutches and, if Indian batting coach is to be believed, was ready to bat on the fifth day of the match. Thankfully, a partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar ensured that Pant didn't have to bat in the final innings of the match. The left-handed batter has now been ruled out of the series and will not feature in the final match at the Oval, but his teammates had a lot to say about the grit shown by him. In a video released by BCCI, India head coach Gautam Gambhir can be seen lavishing praises on Pant for his heroics in the first innings, where he scored a half century despite a broken foot. 'The foundation of this Test team will be based on what Rishabh you have done. I hate talking about individuals, I've never spoken about individuals in a team sport. You hve not only inspired this dressing room, but you've inspired the next generation. This is what you've done and that is the legacy which you have created yourself and for everyone in this dressing room. ' Gambhir said in the video. 'Very very well done from everyone and the country will always be proud.' he further added. Meanwhile, India's Manchester hero Sundar was also in awe of Pant's bravado, stating, 'It's very difficult to even put in the feeling he would be going through in words, because he's fractured his toe and he is in pain. When I saw his foot, it was swollen really badly. I think for him to even walking around takes a lot, but he did a lot more than that. The whole country is proud of him and he is just the son of our country. ' Speaking about his batting in the video, Pant said, 'Just a gesture from my side. Whatever it takes to make our team win or put the team forward, instead of thinking about the personal goal that was all.' "The only message I'm gonna give my team is, let's win it guys" Pant stated
India Today
12 minutes ago
- India Today
Injured Rishabh Pant sends parting message to Team India after heroic Manchester draw
Injured Rishabh Pant had a special message for team India after their heroic draw in the Manchester Test on Sunday, July 27. Pant was not needed on Day 5 despite coming to the stadium on crutches and ready to bat for the team in their bid to save the match. Pant suffered a fractured toe while batting in the first innings as he was hit on the foot on Day 1. The Indian vice-captain fought through the pain and came out to bat the next day, to a thunderous ovation from the went on to score 54 in the first innings, which proved to be crucial in the end as India pushed the series to the final match at the Oval. However, Pant won't be a part of the game as he has been ruled out of the match due to injury. Before leaving the side, the Indian vice-captain urged his side to go out and win the match for the nation."The only message I'm going to give my team is, let's win it, guys. Let's do it for the country," said Pant. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam)Just a gesture from my side Pant said that his defiance to come out and bat despite the injury was a gesture from his side to do whatever it takes to make the team win and put them ahead of his personal goals. The Indian vice-captain was lost for words in terms of the support he got from the whole nation."Just a gesture from my side. Whatever it takes to make our team win or put the team forward instead of thinking about the personal goal, that was all for me. Definitely, it's been amazing the way they backed me. The team is under pressure. Everything is there, but when the whole country stand behind you for the same cause, that is something. That emotion is difficult to explain, how proud I feel to represent my country," said has scored 479 runs in the seven innings he has played in the series.- EndsTune InMust Watch
