Youngsters benefit from tough lessons, says Indian coach

Monday, 22 February 2010


COLOMBO: An injury-ravaged India will leave for home from the AFC Challenge Cup a well beaten side. But coach Sukhvinder Singh remained optimistic and had plenty of reason for hope that the young team would do well at November’s Asian Games in Guangzhou.

“The experience this young squad has gained here is invaluable and I know this will help them hugely at the Asian Games,” Singh said. “What they learned at this tournament will do them good later this year.”

The turbaned coach believed the biggest benefit will come from the fact that India, who was fielding their under-23 squad at this event, played against teams who approached the game differently.

“The different styles we faced here will help us to prepare for the Asian Games where we will come up against teams such as the ones we played against in Colombo,” Singh said.

“The boys now will know what to expect. It won’t be anything new to them and this experience is invaluable. We lost here, but in the long run we will benefit,” he added.

India, who were the defending champions, lost all their three group games to finish bottom of Group B. India began with a 2-1 loss to Kyrgyzstan and that was followed by a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Turkmenistan.

The powerful DPR Korea then won 3-0 again India, who had several first-choice players missing from the line-up.

“This is a young team and for the last game, we were missing five or six regulars through injury. We didn’t have our regular backs as well as our centre-halves. We had a midfielder playing in defence and this cost us,” Singh said.

India had already qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup – by virtue of winning the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 – and with the senior squad preparing for that tournament, the All India Football Federation decided to send the under-23 squad to Colombo.

“I thought they played well in the opening two games and created chances. But we were badly affected by injury and the conditions here (hot and humid) plus a tough schedule.

“But this is all part of the learning process and will do this young swuad a world of good as they look forward to November’s Asian Games in Guangzhou,” Singh added.

Alvin Sallay

Photo: Indian coach Sukhvinder Singh.

Source: the-afc.com

Added by: Anselm Pio Noronha