I-League 2020-21: Gokulam Kerala FC begin pre-season training in controlled environment

Kozhikode: With the latest edition of the I-League set to begin on 9 January, Gokulam Kerala FC began their pre-season training in a controlled environment amid the pandemic.

The club from the southern state has resumed training activities after the state-wide lockdown ended on 31 October while following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that have been put in place by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for its tournaments.

"The protocols and guidelines issued by the AIFF for resuming team training will be strictly followed. As we enter into a new-normal era, it will be challenging for both the players and the coaching staff," said Gokulam Kerala CEO B Ashok Kumar.

"With all the precautionary measures in place, we are confident of conducting the training sessions without any hassles," he added.

All set for new normal 😷#GKFC #Malabarians pic.twitter.com/92gX4LtLxP

— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) November 10, 2020

Kumar said the club had brought all its players to Kozhikode in batches and kept them in quarantine at the residential facility, which was sanitised prior to all the arrivals.

The EMS Stadium and its offices were further sanitised before the pre-season training activities began.

Along with these, the club has also made sure to keep in line with the SOPs provided by the AIFF and has put in place measures like regular temperature checks, placement of sanitisers at key areas, sanitisation, and seat-markings (keeping social distancing in mind) of the team buses.

Gokulam's newly-appointed Italian head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese had also flown down from his residence in Armenia last week.

Although he is currently completing his own quarantine, he has been coordinating with the team's physical trainer, Djair Miranda Garcia.

"The boys have hit the ground running because we had continued our training during the lockdown via video conferencing. What's important for me is that we all keep working together, be it with or without the ball. This builds the understanding between the teammates," Annese said.

He added, "The morale is quite high. We have started off with some very heavy sessions, and it was like a dream to get back on the ground and play football."

While there are a number of restrictions in place due to the COVID-safety protocols, Annese feels that following these protocols during the pre-season training will help the players get in the correct mental state for the I-League.

"Following the protocols in our training camp has also been very helpful because now we are getting a feel of the things for the real tournament as well. So once the league starts, we won't have any problems," he stated.