The current inclement weather is affecting the preparation of many of the teams that will be competing in the Kashif & Shanghai football tournament but their coaches are taking solace in the fact that all teams will be entering the competition on an even keel.
Some coaches told Stabroek Sport that they had to resort to indoor training sessions and any other method that would ensure some work was done.
Buxton United secretary Eaton Moses, who spoke on behalf of coach Lyndon France who is out of the country, said that the team did some work on a tarmac that is near to the affected ground in the village.
Additionally, Moses noted that in some instances the team used the hard spots on the ground to work out.
He said, however, this should not affect their chances of advancing to the next round since it is the philosophy of the team that success must come despite the conditions that are presented.
Moses believes that all the teams are on the same level and it is being drilled into the players that they should face each game with the confidence that they will win. The young Buxton United team’s first match will be against defending champions Western Tigers on December 15 at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC).
When Stabroek Sport spoke to coach of Camptown Joseph Wilson he emphasised that the weather has been the biggest “humbug” but the team is doing whatever is necessary to prepare for the competition. He stated that since they had no ground to use weather can partially affect their chances in the tournament.
Wilson indicated, however, that they continue to seek other avenues to get ready for the tournament that kicks off on December 12 at the Guyana National Stadium. Camptown’s first game will be against Pele on December 21.
Optimism
On the other hand, Keith O’Jeer, coach of Rosignol United, said that their preparation was not going as it should. This is not because of weather but the fact that two of their talented players will not be able to compete for the team. He did not disclose what were the reasons for this but he maintained that the atmosphere in the camp is one of optimism.
He noted that while the weather resulted in his team being unable to get the Blairmont Community Centre ground, the side still managed to remain active. He pointed out that his side has the semi-final of the Cheddi Jagan Memorial football tournament to play this evening.
And commenting on preparation, O’Jeer declared that the players recently returned from a four-day camp at the Skeldon Community Centre ground and it was intense. The coach is also confident that his side will dispose of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on December 19 at Blairmont.
O’Jeer pointed out that judging from the way the GDF have been playing, the matchup will be an easy one for Rosignol. He pointed to the fact that the GDF will be using some guest players and according to O’Jeer they will need shoring up.
In Region Seven, Liquid Gold coach Carlton Beckles said that the technical staff had to move the team’s training from the community centre ground to the secondary school ground on the hill. He pointed out that such a move was a worthwhile one and preparations are progressing smoothly.
He said with the preparation the team is currently undergoing they will be a “force to be reckoned with” in the tournament. He thinks that his team’s first match against Riddim Squad will be a good one and his players are comfortable and enthusiastic about their first round encounter.
Meanwhile when Stabroek Sport spoke with Alpha United’s coach Wayne Dover, who is also the national coach, he said that his charges have been using the National Park circuit to train with the focus being on improving fitness. He acknowledged that the weather has affected his team and the other teams surely must have felt the effects of the rainy season also.
He added that the team will use whatever is available to it and play their hardest to ensure a successful first game against Seawall.
