Sporting Clube de Goa back to training ahead of Federation Cup

After the Christmas vacation, the Sporting Clube de Goa returned to train at the Don Bosco ground here to gear up for the upcoming Federation Cup.
A phenomenal start to the I-League, where Sporting finished the first stage in second place with a game in hand over leaders Bengaluru Football Club, were rewarded with an eight-day holiday to spend time with friends and family.
During the break, Sporting's physios -- Brian D'Costa and Abhinandan Chatterjee -- 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 to go in the season with many challenges ahead, in which they will have to be at the peak of their performance," said 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 the best.
"Footballers tend to enjoy doing different exercises, so we gave them a variety. What is also important is sufficient rest in between and consumption of a well-balanced diet," Brian said.

The calorie-conscious Panjim outfit had four choices - 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 Sporting squad was a combination of swimming and jogging in the park on alternate days.

They also had a light practice session at the training ground, followed by the gym in the afternoon. The squad followed the programme to the last letter.
Oscar Bruzon's men will kick off their Federation Cup campaign in Kerala against Bengaluru Football Club on January 15th, followed by East Bengal on January 18th and their final Group B encounter is against Rangdajied United on January 21.