By Jagannath Chatterjee

New Delhi, Jul 23 (IANS): Former Indian football team striker and Bhaichung Bhutia's long-time partner upfront, I M Vijayan feels home-bred coaches should be given more opportunities to showcase their skills, as lack of prospects could lead to frustration.

Vijayan -- popularly known as the 'black buck' during his playing days because of his lightning speed, scored 30 goals in 68 appearances for the national team -- also feels that India coaches were putting in a lot of hard work to get licences and that they deserve this from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

"See, they (Indian coaches) are doing so much hard work to get the required qualifications and even after that if they have to sit at home then that is not good," Vijayan told IANS.

Though Vijayan is not against foreign coaches, as he says they are technically more advanced, he feels the Indian coaches, if they get more opportunities, can come up to that level.

"Our coaches are good too. But because of the better development of the sport in Europe and South America, these foreign coaches have more knowledge. They bring that knowledge here… there should be a way that knowledge reaches our Indian coaches," he averred.

Vijayan also is in favour of the licensing courses for coaches in India as he feels it gives more skills to them. "You see, when the coaches enrol for these courses, apart from tactical aspects of the game which they already have, they can acquire technical knowledge also."

Vijayan said that during his playing days, he played under some good foreign coaches like Rustam Akramov and Stephen Constantine and good Indian coaches like Syed Nayeemuddin and Sukhwinder Singh as well.

"During our playing days both foreign and Indian coaches were given equal opportunities. The same can be followed now. I don't see much of a difference between Indian and foreign coaches but then opportunities need to be given," added Vijayan.