Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) technical director Anton Corneal joined 24 other technical leaders from around the globe to learn more about Japan’s approach to achieving excellence as part of block two of FIFA’s new technical leadership diploma in Chiba, Japan, from December 4-9.
The diploma aims to become the globally recognised qualification for technical leaders working in the game, and prepares participants for the distinct challenges and opportunities faced by a technical leader within a member association.
Five core domain areas are covered: technical leadership, high performance, coach education, amateur football and management.
Corneal and other participants explored kaizen – the Japanese principle of continuous improvement – during the six-day workshop that included study visits to Toyota, Sumo Training Stables and the Japanese FA.
Achieving excellence in the areas of talent identification and recruitment, coach education, national teams and quality assurance were also covered by participants undertaking the 18-month long course.
Corneal said, “It was an honour to witness the foundation blocks of respect, politeness, and humility seen in every aspect of the Japanese culture; their continued quest for excellence was illustrated in their hard-working habits without losing the reserve nature of their people.”
TTFA general secretary Amiel Mohammed said Corneal's presence will help develop the sport locally.
“We are in the rebuilding phase, which he has been a major part of, and the skills that he has developed on this diploma, such as his experiences in Japan, will be brought back to improve our local and even regional programmes.”
SOURCE: T&T Newsday