By Baidurjo Bhose
New Delhi, Mar 16 (IANS): Indian cricket trainers will soon be at par with those working closely with some of the top football clubs in the world like in the English Premier League (EPL).
Some trainers associated with Ranji Trophy teams are set to undergo the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) Level 2 course in Bengaluru from April 3 to 7.
While the trainers are doing it in their personal capacity, former India trainer Ramji Srinivasan has welcomed the move and said the sole reason why he fancies the programme is the practical knowledge that is imparted in this course.
Speaking to IANS, Ramji said that while there were various courses, the one run by ASCA went for a holistic approach with the focus being on 32 hours of face-to-face theory and practical engagement.
"ASCA is a very good programme where it involves a lot of practical aspect. You have practical sessions and there is a mix of theory and practical learning. Level 2 and 3 are very good," he said.
"I prefer ASCA for cricket. They tell you which muscles need to be used for which exercise. It is all about bio-mechanics. It is not like some of the other courses where you have multiple choice questions. You got to sweat it out and learn.
"Usually, ASCA workshops are held in Singapore or Australia. This is perfect for the trainers to develop their knowledge. ASCA certified trainers in fact sometimes do not wish to come into cricket because it isn't challenging enough for them," Ramji said.
Some of the trainers who will be a part of the programme are Sanjib Das (Bengal), Rakesh Goil (Baroda), Abdul Sattar (Sikkim), Mayank Agawral (MP) and Yuvraj Singh Dasondhi (Vidarbha).
All of them have been associated in training cricket teams at the state level for close to a decade.
ASCA General Manager Peter Currell told IANS that not only does the course add to one's knowledge, but the certified trainers can also coach different levels of athletes.
"The ASCA delivers coaching educational courses. Therefore participants will gain further knowledge to help with their coaching abilities. Upon completion of the assessment, they will also gain an International Recognised Strength and Conditioning Coaching Accreditation."
Commenting on the decision to have a workshop in India, Currell said a number of Indian residents had been enrolled in the course in Australia but some faced visa issues.
"Therefore we thought that we would deliver courses in India, to save the participants travel costs and also the issues that may come with getting a visa to Australia."