Women coaches chases big goals at FIBV volleyball course in Guwahati

Guwahati, May 6: When Shaheen Akhter started her journey in the border town of Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, she knew she was travelling far, but not just in distance. More than 2,700 kilometres and several states later, she arrived in Guwahati, carrying with her a dream: to learn, to teach, and to uplift the children in her locality through volleyball.

“I’m thrilled to be here. It’s a huge opportunity for coaches like us to learn something new and return to our villages with better skills,” Shaheen, a former state-level player and mother of three, told The Assam Tribune.

Alongside her sits Gita Bist from Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district. Her journey took three days, and she brought her 10-month-old baby along. Her husband, also a former player, accompanied her, not as a participant, but as a babysitter, so Gita could focus on the training.

“In our village, children work hard — they finish their household chores and then rush to the ground to play volleyball. We never made it beyond the senior nationals, but we want them to dream bigger, go further,” said Gita.

Shaheen and Gita are enrolled in the FIVB Level 1 Coaching Course currently underway in Guwahati, from May 3 to 8, organised by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in partnership with the Brahmaputra Volleyball League (BVL). This is the first time the global coaching certification course is being held in India since 2019 — and it’s fully funded by FIVB.

“The young boys and girls in our areas are full of enthusiasm, but they lack proper facilities and guidance. I hope to return with new insights that will help them grow. I hope they do better than us,” Shaheen said.

For Gita, family support has made this possible. “I’m lucky that my husband is supportive. We’re a team. He takes care of our baby while I attend the sessions,” she smiled.

Gita Bist with her baby and husband

Out of the 45 participants, 12 coaches are from remote regions across India, selected with a focus on those who had previously volunteered with BVL during their NIS internships. Among these 12 are four women — from Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Telangana — while the remaining seats are filled by coaches from Assam.

“This course usually costs around Rs 2 lakh if done abroad,” said Abhijit Bhattacharya, founder of BVL and a former India captain. “But now it’s happening here, fully funded by FIVB. It’s a massive opportunity for grassroots coaches.”

The course is led by GE Sridharan, a former India coach and Dronacharya Awardee, who is also a certified FIVB instructor. Participants who complete the course will be awarded official certificates recognised worldwide.

In addition to standard training modules, the course features specialised sessions on Safeguarding and Sports Psychology, tailored for coaches working with young players in rural and underserved areas.

The course also highlights how BVL is becoming a model for inclusive and sustainable sports development. In November 2024, the league was awarded the Silver Certificate of Excellence at the 39th FIVB World Congress in Portugal — making it the first Indian initiative to receive such global recognition.

“This isn’t just a coaching course,” said Bhattacharya. “It’s a statement — that real change in Indian sports will come from the grassroots, and from people like Shaheen and Gita who are willing to do whatever it takes.”

From border villages in Kashmir to hill towns in Uttarakhand, these coaches are not just learning drills and tactics — they are building dreams for hundreds of children who look up to them.