Sports
‘Lack of football infrastructure a problem in India’
New Delhi: All India Football Federation (AIFF) technical director Scott O’Donell said that lack of suitable infrastructure, specially in terms of playing and training facilities, is a big problem in the country.
The technical director said the AIFF Academy Programme hasn’t been a smooth journey because of the limited resources available.
“We have had issues with venues for our academies because we do not have our own national training centre. As a result we have had to search for suitable venues across the country. The lack of suitable infrastructure is a big problem but I am hoping with the hosting of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, at least one legacy will be the improvement in playing and training facilities,” O’Donell said on Tuesday.
“Age cheating has been another big issue for us but we seem to have that nearly sorted by conducting MRI tests on all players who enter our academy programme.”
Speaking about the journey so far, he said, “It hasn’t always been easy but we have done what we have been able to do within our limited resources. I was at an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Conference this week, and while we are not up there with the likes of Japan or Korea, we can be proud of what we have done in terms of our residential academies.
“We have given our young players the opportunity to experience the opportunity to live and breathe football on a full-time basis. AIFF has provided coaching, board and accommodation as well as education for all of our players.”
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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