AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: After a well deserved Christmas vacation, the Sporting Clube de Goa squad returned to training at Don Bosco ground, Panjim on Monday (December 30, 2013) as they gear up for the upcoming Federation Cup.

A phenomenal start to the Airtel I-League where they finished the first stage in second place with a game in hand over leaders Bengaluru Football Club, was rewarded with an eight-day holiday to spend the festive period with their friends and family.

During the break, the Sporting Goa physio’s Brian D’Costa and Abhinandan Chaterjee had devised an elite training plan for the Players to follow in order to stay fit.

“It is important that the players maintain their aerobic capacity and speed as there is still a long way in the season to go, with many challenges ahead in which they will have to be at peak performance,” stated Abhinandan.

The training plan was formulated in such a way that it gave the Players many options to select what type of activities suited them best.

“Footballers tend to enjoy different forms of exercise and so we gave them a variety. What was also important is the sufficient rest days in between and consumption of a well balanced diet,” pronounced Brian.

The Calorie conscious Panjim outfit had four choices namely swimming, jogging on damp sand, cycling in the gym and running in the park. These sessions were complimented with an abdominal work out.

The most popular routine among the SCG squad was a combination of swimming and jogging in the park on alternate days.

Monday morning was a light practice session at the training ground, followed by a session in the gym in the afternoon.

Oscar Bruzon’s men kick off their Federation Cup campaign in Kerala, with a sizzling showdown against Bengaluru Football Club on January 15, 2014, followed by East Bengal on January 18, 2014. Their final group “B” encounter is against Rangdajied United on the January 21, 2014.

(Picture courtesy: Sporting Clube de Goa)