Me winning Dronacharya Award will inspire more Indian coaches: Former India coach Armando Colaco

Me winning Dronacharya Award will inspire more Indian coaches: Former India coach Armando Colaco

Former India coach Armando Colaco said that his winning the Dronacharya Award could go a long way in producing more quality Indian coaches.

Colaco, 71, was conferred the Dronacharya Award 2024 for Lifetime Achievement on January 2, 2025. He became the third Indian football coach to receive the award after Syed Nayeemuddin and Bimal Ghosh.

Colaco, during his coaching career of nearly four decades, holds the distinction of excelling in the national and international arenas.

“First and most important is that our coaches are going to realise that all your hard work is going to communicate, and I could be an inspiration to all these coaches because I’m like a bridge between the old generation and the new generation,” he said.

“This could be a sort of motivation for all Indian coaches since foreign coaches are currently playing a dominant role in Indian football,” said Colaco, who coached the National team in 2011.

During his short stint as the National Coach, Colaco had some impressive results, including a 2-1 victory over Qatar in a friendly in 2011.

The same year, he guided India to a creditable 2-2 draw against the United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifying match at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.

As a club coach, Colaco guided Goan Dempo Sports Club to a new height, winning the National Football League twice and the I-League thrice.

His wards included players like Samir Naik, Mahesh Gawali, Clifford Miranda, and Climax Lawrence, who went on to don the national colours for many years. In the years between 2004-05 and 2011-12 seasons, Dempo was the dominant force in Indian domestic football under the tutelage of Armando Colaco.

“I had players who went on to play for the national team and even captain the national team. So, you know, that made me a very happy person. God has rewarded me. That’s the greatest satisfaction because I have really worked very hard all these years,” said the veteran coach.

Even at 70, Colaco remains an active coach and hasn’t lost his hunger for success. He is currently attached to the Sporting Clube de Goa. “My aim now is to take the club to the I-League, and I hope to succeed soon,” he said.

“I get immense pleasure in taking up challenges. It was like a passion. When I accepted the coaching offer from East Bengal, I was told that the match against Mohun Bagan is always considered the most crucial. I quietly accepted the challenge. During my tenure, East Bengal played six matches against Mohun Bagan and didn’t lose any,” Colaco said.

The Dronacharya coach thinks the Indian coaches should receive more opportunities. “The Indian coaches have the advantage of knowing the culture. That’s the most important factor. You know your players; you know your Mother India. It always helps,” he said.