Indian football team begin training in Maldives ahead of SAFF opener

The Blue Tigers start their campaign against Bangladesh on October 4.

Seve-time Champions India started their preparation for the upcoming SAFF Championship 2021 and had their first training session in Maldives, the venue of the tournament. The Blue Tigers start their campaign on October 4 against Bangladesh at the National Football Stadium in Male. The Indian football team reached Maldives on September 28 (Tuesday).

The ride through the pristine waters of the Indian Ocean took almost 40 minutes, causing a bit of discomfort to the Blue Tigers – most of whom are not quite accustomed to travelling over the ocean on a regular basis.

That, however, didn't dampen the spirit of the Indian football team, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu expressed, “It feels great to be back in Maldives. The weather is good right now and hopefully, we will make the nation proud, and give them something to cheer about.”

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“We are ready and the boys have been playing some football which is good. We hope to carry the momentum into the Championship and reach the finals,” he continued. Indian football team begin their campaign against Bangladesh on Monday, October 4.

The team hotel appears like the UN Capital with people from various nationalities enjoying their vacation in this secluded island within the island nation and within a bubble. The serene country was one of the first holiday destinations which had opened their doors to the world during the pandemic, with an exceptionally low percentage of positive cases in the country.

“It’s so nice to see families out on a holiday while adhering to all the health parameters. That’s something which has been quite unheard of since the last 19 months, That’s the normalcy which we all aspire to get back to -- the earlier the better,” quipped Anirudh Thapa.

“But we are not on a vacation. We have a task at hand, and it’s a tough one. Football is what we are here for. For us, the vacation can wait,” Thapa explained.

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The contingent had undergone an RTPCR test prior to arrival in the Maldives, and as per the tournament guidelines also went through another RTPCR test upon arrival at the hotel.

The first practice session is at the Football Association of Maldives artificial training pitch, and the contingent travels back to Male – the capital city, a to-and-fro cruise on the speedboat piercing through the Indian Ocean once again. “The boat rides will be a common feature for us in the next two weeks,” smiled Rahul Bheke at the morning screening session.

“This is my first SAFF Championship, and I want to make it a memorable one. The quality in our side is unmistakable. We have played seven International matches since March, and looking back, we ask ourselves as to how many teams have played that much during the pandemic. We are here to make our mark, and I will prefer to take it day by day,” he uttered.

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