Bangalore: Even as the India U-23 Team stayed busy in their intensive training session at the Bangalore Football Stadium, a few ladies and middle-aged gentlemen started explaining to their kids. Standing at a distance, one could overhear, ‘This is the Indian Team who will play Pakistan.’


“Have you got your tickets?” you enquire.


“Long back,” a Lady from the Group quips. A gentleman added: “We come here for Bengaluru FC’s matches. The kids support them. We will all come to cheer for India.”


The green in the Garden City isn’t just restricted to the Gardens anymore. All tickets, we learn, have been sold out at the Bangalore Football Stadium for India’s first match against Pakistan.


“I expect a lovely atmosphere in the Stadium, National Coach Wim Koevermans, presently in charge of India’s preparation for the Incheon Asian Games said. “I welcome our guests from Pakistan and it’s always good to have an opportunity to play against them. As we know whenever India and Pakistan play each other, they turn out to be good games,” he added.


Koevermans’ rival counterpart Mohammad Shamlan Mubarak, Pakistan National Team’s Coach from Bahrain thanked “AIFF for organising the two Friendly matches.”


“The Asian Games is knocking at the door and this is the best possible manner to prepare for it. India are a good side and we are building a Team for the future. I hope this Tour will help our young Players gain a lot of experience,” he stated.


“However, we are confident of achieving a positive result in both the matches,” he stressed.


Pakistan Captain Md. Kaleemullah, echoed the same sentiment. “We hope to script a positive result in our favour,” Kaleemullah who plays for Krygyzstan Champions Dordoi Bishkek, reiterated.


Koevermans maintained the “exposure Tour to Czech Republic was a good experience for the boys.”


“The level of Football played in Czech Republic is of very high standard. The boys came back richer in experience. We will also play some good opposition in China prior to the Games in Incheon. That surely will make us stronger,” he said.


“The rules of the Asian Games state that we can pick three Senior Players in the squad. Hence, along with Sunil (Chhetri), we have also brought in Robin (Singh) and Francis (Fernandes) who’s not only one of the best Players but can also play in different positions. And you all need to remember, that Sunil does not only score goals but also creates a lot of them,” he quipped.


Chhetri, sitting next smiled. “The best part is that we have got a lot of time to gel. There are a number of young Players who came from different I-League Teams and not of us were in the best possible shape. The long exposure Camp has helped us for sure,” he maintained.


For the record, Pakistan has had a nine-month preparation ahead of the two matches. “Our most inspiring result stayed against Jordan where we went down by a solitary goal,” Kalemullah informed.


“Our aim is to develop the Team in all aspects of the game. So far I feel we have made progress and we would be able to judge it in the two forthcoming matches,” Koevermans concluded.


The kick-off at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Sunday (August 17) is at 3.30pm and it would be telecast live on DD Sports. Ghous Mohammed and Shankar would be the two commentators.

By Nilanjan Datta