Watching the players undergo intensive training at the Sector 42 Stadium,the tension on coach Harjinder Singhs face is almost palpable. It has been only two days since the camp for the Under-17 National School Games Football Tournament,to be held from September 15 at Srinagar,has started. But the event has brought problem for the football coach. With star players Daniel Lalhlimpuia and A Z Lalramzuava busy attending the Under-16 camp and seven budding players chucked out from the Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA) on disciplinary grounds,Harjinder knows it would be a Herculean task to repeat last years performances,when Chandigarh won the Under-14 Subroto Cup and Under-19 Dr BC Roy Trophy for Football for the first time. He himself was the coach of Government Model High School,Sector 36,Chandigarh,which won the Under-14 Subroto Cup and knows the potential of the players he has at his disposal. But this time it is a different story and he admits the team does not look strong on paper. These boys have just crossed 14 years of age and they would take on players who are not only physically superior to them but also older. The boys physical level is not up to the level. If we still had those seven players who were chucked out of Chandigarh Football Academy,it would have been a different story and we would have been better prepared, shared the former international and CFA coach. The majority of the players that were part of the winning Under-14 Subroto and Under-19 Dr BC Roy titles were from Chandigarh Football Academy. But like planting a sapling,the seeds have been sown and the coach is hopeful that the players would mature and develop into fine players. We will have to wait for the results, he explained,while pointing out the busy schedule these players have in the next few months. Immediately after the National School Games,the boys would return to Chandigarh and take part in the Administrators Cup,following which they will have one months preparation time for the Under-17 Subroto Cup.
