18 June 2002

A lot has happened since my last news update.

While in The Sudan I was appointed National Team Coach for India. The possibility had been in the pipeline for several months.

I arrived here in India on 15 June and have since been travelling around the country, meeting and talking to clubs and coaches.

I conducted a coaching course for a week in Goa and then began a training camp for the U-23 side, who are due to participate in the Asian Games in South Korea in September.

Also in our group are China and Turkmenistan. With only one team guaranteed to qualify it will be a tough challenge!

The initial training camp is in a town called Jhamshedpur, about four hours by train from Kolkata.

The players all reported on 6 July and have been working very hard. The facilities have been good and the local community has really put itself out to help us. As the boys had not played for the previous two or three months we have done a great deal of work on fitness and on movement off the ball.

The response has been good, although I will have more of an idea about what is needed after we have actually played some games. Our first serious test will be the LG Cup in Vietnam. We kick off with a match against the U-23 side from Singapore on 2 August, followed by a match against the hosts.

I’m optimistic we can get through the first stage and make it to the semi-finals.
Upon our return to India the boys will have a week off and then we are heading to England for a couple of friendly games against Jamaica, which will be a really good test.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported me over the last few years - the tremendous amount of emails I have received are proof of that, and as always I really do try to answer every single one.

Stephen Constantine; National Team Coach India