Coaches slam cramped schedule in Asian Youth football

Bangalore, Nov 4 (UNI) The coaches and top officials of the countries taking part in the AFC Asian Youth Football Championship, which is in progress in Bangalore and Kolkata simultaneously, today severely criticised the tight schedule in the group league in which the teams were made to play three matches in five days.

Speaking to newspersons here, the coaches, barring the exception of Japan, were in unison in their view that the cramped schedule had affected the performance of the players.

Saudi Arabian Coach Gilson Nunes, who was most vocal against the schedule, said the Asian Football Federation had shown disrespect to the teams by asking them to play matches on every alternate days.

''AFC should think more about the players than sponsors. In football a three day gap between matches should be the norm,'' he felt.

North Korean team manager Yong Bin Thak agreed with the argument of Nunes saying that it proved difficult to players who suffered niggles during the matches come out fit for the next match just after a day's rest. ''Playing matches every alternate day is too much in football,'' he said.

Iraqi Coach Abod Alkany said the schedule did affect some key players of his team.

However, Japanese head of the delegation Ono Takeshi was the only official who differed with the popular opinion saying that though three matches in five days was tough, the young players should adapt to such a schedule as it would help upcoming stars in becoming tough competitors.

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