New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Indian footballer Sumit Rathi has praised new India head coach Khalid Jamil for creating a positive atmosphere in the national team setup and increasing competition among players through a simple and clear approach.

Rathi said Indian coaches understand Indian players better and highlighted it as one of Jamil’s biggest strengths since taking charge of the national team.

“To be honest, Indian coaches understand Indian players better. That is a fact. That is a plus point in the atmosphere of the current national team. It is very important for any country. His vision is very clear. He won’t go to the players and say that you have to do this. He won’t complain that we didn’t play in one style or didn’t get enough training sessions. He tells us to do what is our strong point,” Rathi told IANS.

“He will never force the players to do what he wants. You have to do what you can do best, what you have been doing for your club and country, but you have to find the best version of that,” Rathi added.

The 48-year-old Khalid Jamil became the first Indian in over a decade to take charge of the men’s national team full-time in August last year. He immediately stabilised the team by leading a depleted squad to a bronze medal at the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, featuring wins over Tajikistan and Oman, which showed some good signs for the future.

Rathi also credited the coach for creating healthy competition within the national team setup by rewarding players based on current performances rather than reputation.

“He has created an atmosphere and increased the competition level. He doesn’t think about whether a player is from ISL or I-League. He gives chances to the players he likes and the ones performing well for their clubs. The player who does well should get a chance. He should be called to the camp and given a chance to represent the national team. These things are very important in any sport,” he added.

He further revealed that Jamil personally watches both ISL and I-League matches closely, something he believes has positively impacted player morale.

“Khalid sir personally watches the matches. It doesn’t matter whether it is ISL or I-League. I think he has done two or three things very well since joining the national team,” Rathi said.

Widely respected in Indian football circles, Jamil made history by guiding Aizawl FC to a remarkable I-League title in 2017 and later impressed with clubs like NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC in the ISL.

–IANS

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