JICA and Nippon Sport Science University Partner with NSNIS Patiala to Strengthen India’s Coach Education System

Patiala, 24 August 2026: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU), Japan, and the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala, conducted a four-day Faculty and Coach Development Workshop titled “Experiencing and Designing Learner-Centred Coach Development” from 17 to 20 August 2026 at NSNIS Patiala. The workshop was led by Dr. ITO Masamitsu, Professor at a premier Japanese university for sports, Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU). Dr. ITO is an internationally recognized expert in sports coach development, who is also a founding member and director of NSSU Coach Developer Academy (NCDA). The workshop brought together faculty members, coach educators, and education-related staff of the Institute.

Held at one of India’s foremost institutions for coach education and training, the workshop marked an important step in JICA’s ongoing cooperation in the field of sport for development. It focused on strengthening the capacity of faculty and coach educators to design and facilitate learner-centred, active-learning-based coach development sessions, moving from lecture-based instruction towards approaches that emphasize reflection, dialogue, and continuous learning.

Since March 2025, Professor ITO and JICA were invited by governments of Assam and Mizoram, and conducted a series of coach development workshops, with remarkable outcomes (JICA and Government of Assam Join Hands to Empower Women through Sports /JICA and Nippon Sport Science University Strengthens Assam’s Sports Ecosystem with Leadership and Coach Developer Training Program). This time, the program in NSNIS Patiala introduced a Faculty Development (FD) approach aimed at institutional reform at the national level. With the recognition of the significant leverage that improvements at a core national institution can have across India’s wider coach education system, the workshop was designed to equip participants with practical skills in course and training design, learning assessment, reflective practice, and feedback provision.

The workshop was designed to achieve the following key objectives:
・Enhance the educational and instructional competencies of faculty and coach educators, thereby improving the overall quality of education and coaching instruction;
・Support the transition towards learner-centred and active-learning approaches that incorporate dialogue, collaboration, and reflection; and
・Lay the foundation for a sustainable human resource development framework that places coaches’ own learning at its core and extends beyond one-off training programmes.

The four-day learning programme was structured to guide the participants from experience to design to practice. Themes were classified as, “Effective Communication in Sport Coaching and Coach Development”; “From Experience to Learning Design”; “From Learning Design to Facilitation Plan,”; and “Improving Faculty Practice Through Practice and Feedback” to provide a holistic learning experience.

Through this progression, participants moved from experiencing learner-centred coach development as learners themselves, to independently designing, facilitating, and reflecting on such sessions — a trajectory at the heart of the workshop’s aim of building lasting faculty capacity. At the end of the programme, each participant had produced an action plan for improving their own faculty practice, with the aim to equipping NSNIS Patiala’s faculty to incorporate learner-centred and active-learning-based coach development into their ongoing work.

Mr. Sh. Vineet Kumar, Deputy Director General of NS NIS Patiala, commented, “This workshop was highly beneficial for our academic coaches and faculty members, with more than 29 coaches actively participating. It provided valuable practical exposure to learner-centred coaching, active learning, effective communication, learning design, facilitation, embedded assessment, peer learning, feedback, and reflective practice. We particularly appreciated the expertise of Dr. ITO Masamitsu, Professor at Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU), Japan, and Director of the Centre for Coaching Excellence (CCE-NSSU) and the Coach Developer Academy (NCDA). His insights brought valuable international perspectives on modern coach education and coach developer training. The workshop has strengthened knowledge sharing, peer learning, and professional interaction among our coaches and faculty members. We believe it will contribute to enhancing the quality of coach education, faculty development, and sports coaching practices at NS NIS Patiala. We also hope that this workshop will serve as a foundation for further collaboration between NS NIS Patiala and JICA.”

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. ITO Masamitsu, Professor, Nippon Sport Science University, said, “When coach educators experience learning as coaches themselves, they are better able to support the learning of others. Our aim through this workshop is to enable NSNIS Patiala nurture a culture of reflective, learner-centred coach development that can shape the next generation of coaches across India.”

Mr. TAKEUCHI Takuro, Chief Representative, JICA India Office, added, “Sport is an extremely powerful tool that has the power to drive both social and performance transformation. It also has the power to boost people-to-people exchanges between India and Japan. JICA is delighted to work with NSNIS Patiala and Nippon Sport Science University to strengthen India’s coach education system and to promote a culture of lifelong learning. We look forward to building on this partnership in the years ahead.”

Looking Ahead
The workshop is envisaged as a meaningful starting point for faculty development at NSNIS Patiala. While no commitments have been made at this stage, future possibilities may include continued collaboration on curriculum improvement, facilitation capacity building, and sustained engagement between NSNIS Patiala, Nippon Sport Science University, and JICA. By investing in the educators who train India’s coaches, the initiative reflects a shared vision of building a stronger, more sustainable, and self-driven sports ecosystem in the country.


About Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is Japan’s primary governmental agency delivering Official Development Assistance (ODA) to partner countries worldwide. JICA plays a central role in advancing international cooperation and sustainable development for 145 countries, including India.
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/overseas/india/index.html

About Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU)
Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU) is a leading Japanese university dedicated to sports science education, research, and training. Through its Center for Coaching Excellence and Coach Developer Academy, NSSU supports the design of coach education programmes and the training of coach developers in Japan and internationally, spanning grassroots to high-performance and Paralympic sport.

About NSNIS Patiala
The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala, is one of India’s principal institutions for coach education and training, playing a central role in the national coach education system.