"Iran will be a real test for us"

Are you happy the manner your boys responded?

Yeah, the manner in which they performed was encouraging indeed. But I have told the boys to stay focused. 5-0 was a good result but we have played against stronger Teams in Germany during our exposure Tour. But Iran will be really strong.

What next after that “encouraging” start?

Iran will be a real test for us and we are all looking forward to it. It’s important for the boys to know where they stand and how good they are. They need to get a realistic view of themselves and their ability to perform as they stay on track to turn into professional Players.

Can you elaborate?

Realistically you need to assess your own capacity in terms of performance. The goal must be to become better. And in order to see how good you are, you need to play against top Teams. Our goal is to become the top Team as we will be playing in the U-17 World Cup. It’s a good way to see where we are right now.

What is special about Iran?

Firstly, they are the hosts and that in itself is a huge advantage.

Secondly, they have a long tradition of Football and are one of the best Teams in Asia.

Thirdly, they have a lot of experience in terms of preparation as their Head Coach mentioned. They have been training for the last 10 months in different environments and that will reap the benefits for sure.

Fourthly, they have a good Coach. He has played in Germany prior and is also very much experienced about European Football which is extremely beneficial.

Fifthly, they are much stronger, tall and very physical. It will a very tough match for us.

There’s huge excitement back home over the results your Team has been achieving. How do you react to that?

I urge all to continue supporting us so that we can prepare professionally and become better. It’s the generation which will be representing India at the Global platform and they deserve all the basic amenities and support. My message to all Indians is to stay calm as we still have a long way to go. We still have two years left.

You will be continuing to look for new Players – right?

I reiterate the scouting process is not finished as yet. The Team hasn’t been fully built as yet. We are looking for better Players and the process will continue.

I urge the State Associations to do their homework better when we come for the second round of scouting. They need to pre-select the best from the age-group for us to pick as per our needs. Otherwise it’s just a waste of time, money and energy. And to pre-select Players, they need to go into the remote areas like I did, and look for them. If you want to find a diamond, you need to dig into the dirt. We need rowers and not drummers.