“Quiet the mind and the feet will speak”: India U-16s take unique inspiration in Bhutan

Thimpu [Bhutan], September 4 (ANI): Order and chaos! They may be antonyms, but both are essential in building a football team, especially one that is in the middle of a tournament. The India U-16s experienced international football for the first time when they beat Bangladesh 1-0 in their opening match of the SAFF U-16 Championship on Saturday.

While that was quite a physical ordeal, the team has been using everything at their disposal in Thimphu, Bhutan, to heal themselves before hitting the turf once again for their next match against Nepal on September 6. One of the first things that the team decided to do the day after their match against Bangladesh is to swap their conventional ice bath for a dip in the Wang Chhu River, one of the many tributaries that eventually join the Brahmaputra, further south-east.

Head Coach Ishfaq Ahmed feels that this exercise is more beneficial than the traditional ice baths that most teams follow. “It is something that we have always done as kids, back in Kashmir, and we have always found it to be beneficial, especially after matches or hard training sessions. The water is around 1-2 degrees Celcius, so it does the job of ice perfectly. It is also natural spring water, so there is always the added advantages of doing such things in natural settings,” said the coach as quoted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). 

Apart from recovering their bodies, the India U-16 coach is also looking at the mental well-being of the players. “These boys have been in camp for a month in Srinagar, before coming here, so mental fatigue could always be a factor when they are away from their usually familiar settings. That is why it is important to have such activities. The whole team taking a dip and splashing about in a natural stream from the mountains also works as a bonding exercise, and takes their minds off from other rigours,” added the coach. 

A visit to the famous Buddha Point was also organised for the team, aimed to lend a sense of calm, one that is essential before they storm the square plot of green land at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. “Since we had a few days between the matches against Bangladesh and Nepal, we decided to take the boys to the Buddha Point, where you get to learn and hear about the great sage and his teachings. It also provides a different perspective on life and I hope that it helped give the boys a sense of calm, which is essential in stressful situations like a football match,” said the coach. 

“If you can remain calm in the heat of the battle, you will naturally make better decisions, and that will automatically give you an added advantage on the football pitch,” he concluded. 

Refreshed and joyous, the Blue Colts are now gearing up for their match against Nepal, which will kick off at the Changlimithang Stadium, in Thimphu, on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at 2.30 pm IST.