Two years ago, veteran football coach and former Bundesliga player Harald Braner and his son Frank Braner were flaunting their football skills on a beach in Nagercoil. Within minutes, a horde of curious young men gathered around. How is football here? Do you like playing football? The queries went unheeded as the enthusiastic young men were in action in no time. For Harald, a UEFA professional coach, this incident was more than inspiring to launch a new football initiative in South India.
As soon as he reached Germany, Harald contacted Gabriel E Joseph, director, coaching, of the All-India Football Federation and veteran footballer from the city. Sometime later, Harald formed an association in Germany by the name ‘Help for South India’ to promote and develop football in this part of the country. In October 2009, in collaboration with the TEEKECEE Football Club, the home club of Gabriel Joseph based at Pallimukku, near Pettah, Harald organised the first football training programme - Youth Soccer Development Programme - in the city. Harald’s wife Karin and son Frank, both counsellors by profession, joined him in the endeavour.
‘’At the end of the day, they even took us to their homes. We were overwhelmed by their response. Having seen their enthusiasm to play football and their humble life circumstances in a fishing hamlet, I was thinking how I could use my experience to help them,’’ said Harald, 67, in the city for the second edition of the programme. Harald has played 88 matches for FC Kaiserslautern in the German football league from 1963 to 1967 and scored 12 goals. Harald also played for SSY Reutlingen, VFL Osnabrück and Wormatia Worms in his 20-year professional football career.
Harald is planning now a long-term programme - Development through football - in collaboration with the TEEKECEE FC. ‘’The kids here are really very talented. We will select an experienced coach to train them at least twice a week. We also have plans to organise training programmes with the support of football associations in Germany and the Goethe Zentrum here,’’ Harald said.
This former professional player of the European league said the State should adopt the German model of football training. ‘’In Germany, we are giving football training to kids under the age of four, which is known as ‘Bambini’. Then only can we pick the genuine talent and provide assistance to them,’’ he said.
‘’Besides, we have also interacted with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce regarding the project,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, Karin and Frank focus on imparting life skills education and personality development training to the kids. ‘’We had a parents’ clinic during the training. Some parents raised concern over the academic future of their children if they joined the yearly football training programme. The football academies in Germany follow a balanced approach by combining education and football,’’ said Harald, who is also a UEFA B licence coach.
As many as 50 youngsters under the age of 14 attended the six-day training programme, which was held on Medical College ground and Loyola School from December 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011. The German family also donated 55 footballs and other sporting equipment to the Club.
‘’After the training, we have selected some talented kids. They will be given free training in the yearly programme. Players who excel in the camp will be given direct entry to TEEKECEE FC’s team so that they can participate in the district and state league matches,’’ said Charles G J, AFC C licence coach and secretary of TEEKECEE FC.
athul@expressbuzz.com