Gokulam Kerala start pre-season training activities online

Kozhikode

I-League club Gokulam Kerala FC started their pre-season activities with an online fitness session for its players. The daily sessions are conducted by GKFCs Brazilian fitness coach Djair Miranda Garcia and overseen by Italian head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese.

The club had earlier planned to start the training by October third week after two weeks of quarantine for the players from other states. But they postponed the decision in the wake of curfew (Section 144) imposed in Kozhikode up to October 31. The online sessions are aimed at improving the mental preparation and physical readiness of the players before the start of the pre-season camp 2020-21.

"We thought about starting the regular camps by next week but the situation does not permit it. So we have started online sessions to keep a tab on the fitness of the players," said Garcia.

"I am assessing each player individually and also giving them instructions. I have spoken to the head coach and both of us have drawn up plans for the online sessions," he said.

Garcia said these sessions will help the players prepare for the pre-season training camp mentally and physically. "Some of the players' morale is a bit down because they have not kicked the ball for the last six months. These sessions will help them to come into the usual routine. Moreover, most of them have not done any group activities for long and it will help to lift their spirits," he added.

GKFC head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese believes that they need to adapt to the situations. "Though I am not a big fan of online sessions, we have no other solutions to the present scenario. I love to see the face of the players and train them. We need to keep a tab on their fitness. Our fitness coach has drawn a wonderful plan for the players. I wish I could be in Kozhikode and start the real training," he said.

All the players signed for the senior team will be attending the pre-season camp and in the coming days the prospective players from the reserve team will also join the sessions.