Bashar Abdullah: Attracting World-Class Trainers for Juniors to Build a Professional Sports Generation - Sarmad

Bashar Abdullah, the Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports, confirmed on Thursday that the primary objective of the project to recruit international coaches to work with the under-12 category in football clubs is to invest in the youth and build a professional sports generation founded on sound principles.

This statement was made during a press conference marking the launch of the project to recruit 15 international coaches, distributed among the 15 clubs to work with the under-12 category, in collaboration with the Kuwait Football Association.

Abdullah stated that the under-12 age group is one of the most critical stages in a player’s development and the formation of their sporting identity. He explained that proper foundational training helps players develop more effectively and understand the game faster, while also building a solid technical and physical base that can be relied upon in subsequent age groups.

He clarified that the project is being launched in partnership with the Kuwait Football Association, which had submitted 150 resumes from coaches of various nationalities. He noted that these applications were reviewed and personal interviews were conducted with several candidates, in accordance with specific criteria and conditions for selecting suitable personnel for the project.

Abdullah highlighted that key selection criteria for the coaches include being between the ages of 25 and 45, holding coaching certifications at the “A” or “Pro” level, and possessing specialized experience in coaching youth age groups rather than senior teams. Proficiency in English is also required, with priority given to coaches who have previously worked in the Gulf or Arab region.

He pointed out that the project has received approval from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Following the announcement, the authority received numerous resumes from coaches expressing interest in participating, after reviewing the project’s seriousness and objectives.

Abdullah stated that the recruited coaches come from diverse footballing schools and hail from countries including Spain, Portugal, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Croatia. He emphasized that the diversity in experience and coaching methodologies represents a significant addition to the project.

He indicated that a joint committee comprising representatives from the Public Authority for Youth and Sports and the Kuwait Football Association has been formed to monitor the coaches’ work through weekly observation of training sessions and the preparation of periodic progress reports. He noted that the project is subject to modification and development as needed to ensure its objectives are met.

Furthermore, he explained that the authority has agreed with the clubs to grant the coaches full authority to make technical decisions related to their work, ensuring that their expertise and capabilities are utilized optimally.

He stressed that the project does not aim to create competition among clubs, but rather focuses primarily on qualifying, developing, and discovering talents, and refining their abilities based on sound scientific and technical foundations.

He added that the coaches are paying particular attention to the physical development of players at this age group, as well as instilling a culture of healthy eating and good habits, which contributes to building well-rounded players both technically and physically.

Abdullah expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the clubs for their cooperation and support of the project, noting that the authority sought and obtained the clubs’ approval before implementation, and received their full support and attention to ensure the success of this initiative.

He called on parents to enroll their children in clubs near their places of residence, emphasizing that all recruited coaches possess the same level of competence, with negligible differences among them, making the choice of the nearest club more suitable for both the player and the family.

He revealed a future vision for expanding the project in the coming stages, whether by attracting more football coaches or by broadening its scope to include other sports. At the same time, he pointed out the possibility of providing opportunities for newly graduated national coaches to shadow internationally recruited coaches, in order to benefit from their expertise, experience, and technical capabilities.

He expressed hope that the project’s fruits would begin to appear in the coming years, contributing to the development of Kuwaiti talent and supplying Kuwaiti sports with players capable of continuing the path of progress and achievement.