EURO-ASIA Coached Cooperation Project Fine-tuned via Online Meeting

Bangkok, Thailand, January 7, 2021 – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on, the Euro-Asia Coaches Cooperation Project is ready to run and move on to the next stage following a productive discussion and planning of the AVC Expert Team through a successful online meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting was to introduce each program member to each other and to initially discuss plans for the stage of the program due to take place in Thailand this year between April 19 and 25.

Actually, this joint project aimed at fostering the education of coaches working with young players and wishing to upgrade their skills started early February last year with the workshop held in Luxembourg, attended by AVC Coaches Committee Members.

Mr G.E. Sridharan from India, leading expert for the program in Asia, chaired the Wednesday meeting, with the attendance of his supportive team – Dr. Mahamoud Afshardoust from Iran, Coach for Skills and Practical, Mr. Alireza Tolookian from Iran, Scout Man/Analyzer, Dr. Digvijay Singh Rathore from India, Physiotherapist, Dr. Shihab Aldin Ahmed from Oman, Coach and Physical Trainer and Dr. R. Natarajan from India, Certified Yoga Instructor.

Also joining the meeting were Mr. Park Ki-Won from Korea, Chairman of the AVC Coaches Committee, AVC Secretary General Mr. Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai from Thailand, CEV Development Manager Mr. Vuk Karanovic, CEV Development Coordinator Ms. Katrina Reuter and AVC Development Coordinator Ms. Mingkwan Pusiddusid.

The meeting started with all participating members exchanging best wishes for the year 2021 and members introducing themselves and expressing their motivations for the joint project. After that, Sridharan, taking the leading role of AVC Expert, presented a PowerPoint slide show related to the content knowledge, scope and instruction program for the eight qualified coaches selected from CEV and AVC. The parties agreed in principle that the curriculums presented in the meeting should be as well-rounded and complete as possible to best challenge and teach those coaches.

According to the timeline of the project, if conditions with the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions allow, the program will kick off with a first week of training between March 20 and 28, 2021 run by CEV Expert Gert Vande Broek and his supportive team at the Faculty of Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium. A second week of training will later be taking place at the FIVB Development Centre in Bangkok, Thailand from April 19 to 25, 2021 under the close supervision of AVC Expert G.E. Sridharan, with the assist of his supportive team members with the project operations.

The COVID-19 situation updates had been raised for discussion in the meeting, where the parties agreed to postpone the project if the COVID-19 pandemic still interferes with the onsite programs due to take place in Belgium and Thailand. However, if successful actions will be taken to stop or slow down the spread of the COVID-19 in the not-too-distant future and life returns to a more normal state, the parties will then bring the project to life again with the reschedule of the programs in both countries.

According to the information given, the parties will check the COVID-19 update a month at a time to see how the pandemic will be getting better and everything is safe for all participants. If the pandemic still rages on, the period of programs in both countries will be gradually extended, with the program in Belgium due to be held in March switched to April and the one in Thailand in April switched to May, for example.

At the end of the meeting, CEV Development Manager Vuk expressed his sincere thanks to all members for their kind cooperation, saying that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Euro-Asia Coaches Cooperation Project has still come this far, thanks to everyone’s great support.

AVC Secretary General Kiattipong also thanked CEV for the project initiation, saying that the Asia’s governing body will throw its full support to help fulfil this truly historic project.