Women’s Football Olympic Qualifiers | Arriving eight days ahead of the tournament will help us, says Maymol Rocky

After India won its fifth successive title at the SAFF Championship, the Maymol Rocky-coached side has landed in Myanmar for their AFC Olympic Qualifiers games to be played in the neighbouring country from April 3. After the team arrived in Maldalay, head coach Rocky has expressed her happiness of the early arrival as it will give them ample time to get acclimatised to the hot and humid climate of Myanmar. 

“Arriving eight days in advance for the Olympic Qualifiers will help us to acclimatize faster. It’s an early advantage which we need to cash upon. If you look at bigger tournaments, teams always arrive early,” head coach Maymol Rocky told AIFF.

“It usually takes two to three days for a player to fully acclimatize to a new set-up. We are confident that we shall be cent percent ready for the first match, despite the hot, and humid weather. The temperatures in Biratnagar during the SAFF Championship served as a warm-up in this regard as well. The girls responded well to the conditions, and I am sure they will adapt in Myanmar too.”

India has not lost a single game in last 23 outings and in 2019, they have played a total of 14 matches which could have given the girls the much-needed experience ahead of the big event.

“In fact, International Football is not just about the weather. Arriving early will help us to get a feel of the training pitches, and also the venues. Along with the physical part, it is important get ready mentally. After all, switching to new surroundings can sometimes take time,” the coach explained.

India will be in Group B of the competition alongside hosts Myanmar, Nepal and Indonesia and will start its campaign against Indonesia on the opening day of the tournament. India had managed to win the last two matches played between the two sides in Jakarta earlier this year.