RoundGlass Punjab kick off pre-season training ahead of I-League 2021-22

The club will be led by former Bengaluru FC head coach Ashley Westwood in the forthcoming season.

RoundGlass Punjab FC kicked off its pre-season training earlier this month in Kolkata under newly-appointed Head Coach Ashley Westwood ahead of the forthcoming I-League 2021-22 campaign.

A total of 25 players along with the First Team’s coaching and support staff have been housed in a bio-secure environment, following stringent COVID-19 safety protocols. The team underwent its first session on the field on October 8 and hit the ground running as the countdown for the new season starts. 

RoundGlass Punjab FC made an impressive I-League debut under its new ownership in the 2020-21 season and made a strong statement of intent in the summer transfer window. The side will be led by Head Coach Ashley Westwood, a two-time I-League winner with Bengaluru FC and seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience as a player and coach.

Looking ahead to the start of the new season, Nikolaos Topoliatis, Football Director, RoundGlass Punjab FC, said, “Everyone at RoundGlass Punjab FC is excited to begin the pre-season as we prepare for our second I-League campaign. We are proud to represent #PunjabInSpirit and have put together a competitive squad with a mix of both youth and experience. With Ashley coming in as Head Coach and a number of talented players joining us, we are looking forward to putting an inspiring show in the coming season and fight for the title.”

Ashley Westwood, Head Coach, RoundGlass Punjab FC,said, “I’m happy to be finally back in India and return to the pitch coaching football, which is something I enjoy and feel I do best. A lot of planning has been done in the last few months and we were doing a lot of online sessions with the boys as well. It’s good to finally be in each other’s company as a team. Now, we will strive and work hard with the goal to start the new season in the best possible shape.”

Bikramjit Singh, midfielder and 2020-21 season captain, RoundGlass Punjab FC, said,“Everyone is delighted to be back on the field and all the players are working very hard. All our needs – training pitch, accommodation, diet, etc. have been taken care of. The club is putting in a lot of effort to ensure that we get ready in the best possible manner. We have sufficient time to prepare and get ourselves in a strong position before the league starts. We want to make our fans and the people of Punjab proud in the coming season.”

RoundGlass Sports has embarked on its mission to strengthen the sporting ecosystem in India. An attitude of boldness, creativity, honesty, and risk-taking epitomises RoundGlass Punjab FC, which is bringing the unique spirit of Punjab’s sporting culture to Indian football and wants to inspire every child to play.

The RoundGlass Punjab FC players currently in Kolkata are:-

Goalkeepers: Lalthuammawia Ralte, Jaskaranbir Singh, Jaspreet Singh.

Defenders: Aakash Sangwan, Rino Anto, Lalchhuanmawia Fanai, Keegan Pereira, Shankar Sampangiraj, Saurabh Bhanwala, Gurtej Singh.

Midfielders: CK Vineeth, Kean Lewis, Tongbram Maheson Singh, Suranjit Singh, Bikramjit Singh, Ashis Pradhan, Rupert Nongrum, Joseba Beitia.

Forwards: Aashish Jha, Aphaoba Singh, Sumeet Passi, Robin Singh, Travis Major, Kurtis Guthrie.

*Note: Defender Bikash Yumnam departed for the India U23 national team on October 17 and will return to RoundGlass Punjab FC training once relieved from his national team duties. 

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