Honour for boys to compete in IFA Shield, says Indian Arrows head coach

The All India Football Federation's (AIFF) developmental side, Indian Arrows, is all set to take part in the 123rd edition of the IFA Shield as part of their pre-season preparation for the I-League campaign, starting from December 6.

Having started in 1893, the IFA Shield is one of the oldest football competitions in the world, and Arrows head coach Venkatesh Shanmugam feels that this is a good chance for the new batch to soak in some experience of playing senior football.

"The IFA Shield is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in India, a lot of history is involved in this competition. It will be an honour for these young boys to play in the tournament and they are very lucky in that regard," Venkatesh was quoted as saying by www.the-aiff.com. "As a coach, I am very happy to take this team to the tournament."

The current Arrows batch has come through the ranks of junior football, having been promoted from the U-17 level, where they trained under head coach Shuvendu Panda in Bhubaneswar. Odisha government provided with the infrastructure and facilities for the boys to train.

The boys, who have now progressed to the Indian Arrows team, will assemble in Bhubaneswar for their training camp on November 20, before heading to Kolkata for the IFA Shield and subsequently the I-League.

The Indian Arrows are drawn in Group C of the IFA Shield, where they are set to play their first match against Southern Samity on December 6, followed by a clash against George Telegraph SC on December 9. Venkatesh feels that his charges are prepared to face the upcoming challenge in Kolkata.

"They can compete with any team in the IFA Shield. But our main focus will be on getting the boys ready for the challenges coming ahead It is a great way to prepare for the Hero I-League," said Venkatesh.

"We will get to know where the team stands in terms of fitness and togetherness. There are a few teams from the I-League in the tournament too, so it will be good for the boys to get into the mindset to face teams of that level," he added.