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Jet-lagged India looking to adapt well before WC qualifier against Guam

June 14, 2015 17:45 IST

The Indian football team ready themselves before a training session at the Guam national stadium on Sunday. Photograph: AIFF/Twitter

A jet-lagged Indian football team underwent a training session in Guam ahead of their 2018 World Cup Qualification Preliminary Round Two match against the hosts on Tuesday.

The team spent some 16 hours on the flight and landed in Guam 27 hours after leaving Bengaluru on June 12. They had their first training session on Sunday afternoon at the Guam FA Stadium.

"It was a nice session. It's an artificial surface and we worked the ball around getting a feel of the pitch. It's important that we adjust to everything, and fast," head coach Stephen Constantine said.

India, who play their second Group D match on Tuesday, had lost to Oman 1-2 in their first match in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Guam, on the other hand, had beaten Turkmenistan by a solitary goal in their first match at home on the same day.

Players of the Indian football team stretch on the beach in Guam on Sunday. Photograph: AIFF

As soon as the Indian football team touched the shores of Guam on Saturday, they straightaway headed for the beaches, for light  training.

"It was a very long trip. We spent a lot of time in the air and it was very tiring. The body needs to adapt to the different surroundings, the jet lag is always there and obviously, there's a change in the time zone as well," Constantine said.

"So when we arrived, the temptation was there to go and rest. But it was very important to train and hence, the moment we checked in, we changed and went straight to the beach. We did some core stability exercises, some running and lots of stretching. The reason for that was that we did not want the players to go to sleep immediately and wanted all to get a good sleep in the timeframe where we are," he added.

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