SINGAPORE - Republic Polytechnic’s (RP) students in the Diploma in Sports Coaching course can now undergo the Asian Football Confederation’s ‘C’ Coaching course as part of their polytechnic education - a move that will not only give them additional coaching certificates along with their diploma, but also provide a head start to their fledgling coaching careers.

Upon successful completion of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching course, the students will be awarded the National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) Level One Certificate which is accredited by the Singapore Sports Council.

The AFC coaching course was launched earlier today (March 15) by Football Association of Singapore vice-president Lim Kia Tong at the tertiary institution.

Among the 22 RP students who have been selected for the AFC course are LionsXII midfielder Ignatius Ang, as well as Women’s National Team player Nabilah Abdul Latiff.

Said Ang, who is a second-year student at RP: “Possessing an AFC “C” Licence will certainly help me both on and off the pitch. It will set the technical foundations for me as a player to see through the eyes of a coach. It will also give me an option to pursue coaching as a career in future. I’m delighted to be in the pioneer batch of RP students to be given this opportunity.”

FAS V-P Lim welcomed the development and hoped for similar tie-ups in the future.

“The launch of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate Course as a module of the Diploma in Sports Coaching Course is a brilliant idea emanating from Republic Polytechnic,” he said.

“It is also a very important milestone and chapter in the history of the Football Association of Singapore. For the first time in the long history of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate Course, we see the youngest cohort of participants of the ages between 18 and 22 years.

“It would be very interesting if all the students in this cohort go on to obtain the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate. They will have many years to polish up their coaching skills as they journey towards getting the AFC Pro Diploma Coaching Licence which is the qualification required to coach at the elite level.

“The training of our coaches at a younger age is indeed one of the objectives of the FAS Strategic Plan which is to increase both the number of quality coaches and strengthen our coaching development programmes.

“We will continue to work closely with our stakeholders and partners, including academic institutions such as polytechnics, to ensure that our players and coaches attain both academic and professional certifications for their development, and for the continued development of Singapore football.”

Seto Lok Yin, who is RP’s Deputy Principal for Industry Services, said: “We are privileged to be the first institute of higher learning to partner FAS in offering this customised programme.

“This collaboration will value add to our sports coaching diploma’s curriculum, and allow our students to deepen both their theoretical knowledge and practical coaching skills as they strive to become the next generation of football coaches.”