Training delay upsets Constantine

English coach Stephen Constantine is a perfectionist. And when it comes to work, he can be dangerously serious about it. No wonder then the ...

English coach Stephen Constantine is a perfectionist. And when it comes to work, he can be dangerously serious about it. No wonder then the new coach of the Indian football team was a trifle disappointed and a bit angry, too, when the team8217;s practice was delayed by an hour due to the ongoing DSA Institutional League at the Ambedkar Stadium.

8216;8216;One should understand the importance of national duty. The ground should have been vacated for the team8217;s training,8217;8217; said a visibly upset Constantine.

Indian juniors make a mark in Germany

New Delhi: Malswama struck two while Jerry Zirsanga and Sutang Marlanki scored one each as the Indian U-17 defeated Viktoria Koeln SC 4-0, according to information received here from Cologne in Germany.
In the first match on Saturday, the Indian juniors were held to a 3-3 by FC Koeln despite leading 3-1 a couple of minutes before the final whistle. Sutang Marlanki scored twice while Mona added one to the scorers list.
Coached by Uzbek coach Islam Akhmedov, India will play in the Asian Junior Championship in UAE early next month. The team will also participate in the International Football Series on Friday.

The Indian team will be leaving later this week for a two-match programme against Jamaica as part of their preparation for the Asian Games in Busan. But the team, which arrived on Monday night, was made to wait and watch the Institutional League game on Tuesday afternoon much to the chagrin of the national coach.

It was only after the match got over that Constantine and his boys were finally able to get down to business. At the end of first day8217;s practice, Constantine sat down to evaluate his players.

The Englishman felt that most of them will have to regain fitness, which he believes is vital before the team left for England. 8216;8216;It is understandable. The boys had a week-long off. They tend to lose some fitness. But it will be worked out soon.8217;8217;

The team that won the LG Cup in Ho Chi Minh City has been clubbed with China, Bangladesh and Turkmenistan in the football event of the Asian Games to be held next month.

Each team is allowed to field three over-aged players in the tournament which is strictly an under-23 event.

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Constantine was of the opinion that a coach was needed to give special attention to the goalkeepers.

8216;8216;I8217;ve heard about Hemanta Dora. Is he good?,8217;8217; asked Constantine. He prefers someone who quit the game recently. But whether or not a coach to train goalkeepers will be recruited depends on the All India Football Federation.

However, Constantine said that he would refer some names like Dora and Paul Barren, with whom he had worked in England, to the federation for its consideration.