New Delhi, Jul 30 (IANS): A four-day special reconversion course conducted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in association with Sports Authority of India (SAI) came to a close on Thursday.

The course saw 48 coaches take part in two daily sessions across four days to take Indian football forward together as part of the AIFF's plan to guide SAI coaches across the country towards understanding the coaching methodologies of the AIFF, in line with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a statement said.

"As they say, well begun is half done. It is the first time that we have done such a coaching and testing process online, and I would like to congratulate SAI for taking the initiative and showing the desire to change. I am glad to see the passion and motivation in the coaches and I hope that today is the start of something new," AIFF technical director Isac Doru said.

"Learning never stops and the time has come where we have to be open to new ideas and change our mindset. The AIFF will always be behind you and we will all meet again soon to assess your abilities and support you," he added.

"There are many players who are entering coaching and have a big role to play. I am optimistic about the future," said AIFF head of coach education Savio Medeira.