Building brick-by-brick at India’s football training camps

That June 11 reel was when the squad had been in training for nearly one month. The importance of a long preparatory camp was stressed by Sandhu during the SAFF Championship, which India won unbeaten like the Intercontinental Cup in June and the three-nation competition in Imphal in March. Looking ahead to the Asian Cup in January, where India are grouped with Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan, midfielder Anirudh Thapa and skipper Sunil Chhetri, speaking separately, have stressed on the need for one.

Head coach Igor Stimac explained why India would need a minimum of four weeks to get ready. “When players come to us, we need three days of testing to get the initial fitness numbers. Then, two weeks of training sessions on the pitch and gym,” he said on a Zoom call from home in Croatia.

A fortnight on the pitch is needed to focus on the tactical points with regards to India’s opponents all of whom are ranked higher – at 94, Syria are closest to India’s rank of 99 with Uzbekistan at 74 and Australia 27 – said Stimac. Ideally, India should use the last two weeks to play opponents similar to Australia and Uzbekistan, he said.

The last hasn’t been heard on Stimac’s suggestion, which will mean pausing the Indian Super League (ISL) for around 40 days and can lead to complications with general elections due next summer. But this much is undeniable: without long training camps, it is difficult for India to be competitive in friendlies and tournaments given that the standard is higher than ISL.

For players, preparations start before, sometimes one month prior to joining. “So that we are ready, ‘Professor’ (Luka Radman, the strength and conditioning coach) sends us a schedule of what we need to do in the first three days,” said Pritam Kotal. Like 60 push-ups a minute or 15 pull-ups, said Kotal, now with Kerala Blasters after five seasons in Kolkata. Explosive power and jumping range are also tested as is fat percentage, about which ‘Professor’ is very picky, said the India defender. “I am 5 foot 10 and I have been told to stay within 74-75kg.”

Usually in the evening, the sessions focus on attacking and passing drills and on keeping shape defensively. Attacking drills include improving accuracy in crosses with at least three attacking players inside the 18-yard box: one at each post and a third near the penalty spot.

Training for defensive formations is usually with four defenders and one central midfielder against six attacking players. “You lose the ball, in three seconds everybody gets behind the ball,” Stimac says in a video on the national teams’ official twitter handle ahead the SAFF Championship final against Kuwait.

While these happen in the evening, mornings are taken up by 45-minute sessions in the gym or aerobic running or high intensity training. “We don’t have problems with sprints, accelerations, speed and explosive power when we are given enough time,” said Stimac. Unusually against teams from west Asia, India ended games against Lebanon and Kuwait looking stronger and more energetic than the opponents.

Swimming is optional and after every three days players get a break, said Kotal. Players don’t need to be told to look after themselves anymore, said the defender who played every minute of the last ISL season leading ATK Mohun Bagan to the title. “I think that has changed over the past five-six years.” Yet diet is strictly monitored. At camps there is a lot of avocado, tofu, quinoa, grilled fish, grilled chicken, beetroot juice and vegetables, he said.

Focus shifts to the opening game during the last seven days. The players get video clips which highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the rival team and individual players. “By the time we get to the team video session, we have an idea of the opponents. The coach then talks about how we will approach the game,” said Kotal.

By now, the players are clear about their roles. For instance, the right-back knows he can push up to stretch the play and be in position to receive the pass from the centre-back, said Kotal. “Or that (Lallianzuala) Chhangte will be allowed to cut in when operating from the right but will stay wide when he is playing on the left.”

Chhangte swooping in to finish a move started by Chhetri and involving Ashique Kuruniyan and Sahal Abdul Samad fetched India the equaliser in the SAFF Championship final. By then India were together for nearly 50 days.