Ahead Of The U16 Y-League, Head Of Youth Development And The Blue Colts’ Head Coach John Kila Spoke To The Club Website About His Expectations And The Team…

Goa: After a rigorous scouting process that explored different states in the country, Bengaluru Football Club’s Academy U16s are ready to take part in the 2016 U16 Y-League, set to take place in Goa. With a few practice matches under their belt, Head of Youth Development and U16s Head Coach John Kila believes his side is ready for the challenge.

“It’s very exciting to go into a competitive tournament after scouting these players from all over the country. We played a few friendly matches but an official League match is very different and we’re all looking forward to it. My aim is to reach the final stages because these boys have the potential to do that,” said Kila.

Grouped with Salgaocar, Sporting Clube de Goa and Dempo SC in the Rest of India Zone-I, Kila expressed delight at having a side with intense competition for places and spoke about how his side is shaping up ahead of their first tournament together.

“We are ready for the Y-League. We are sure about the first eleven and there’s not much of a difference in quality between them and those on the bench, which is a good sign. The fastest, strongest players and those who are mentally prepared have been added to the first eleven. We’ve held regular meetings because it is important to give them the right type of knowledge and make them understand the game-plan.”

Since taking charge of the BFC Academy, Kila believes that he has seen vast improvement in his players both tactically and physically. Following a month of training at the residential academy in Bellary,

“The boys who came into the academy have improved a lot. The younger boys are very energetic and skillful. They have gelled well together after coming from different states and teams and are now playing together as a unit. We are working hard on their technical skills and will continue to do so throughout the course of the tournament. I am happy with the players as I am with all the staff at the academy.”

Kila believes that the practice matches against Anantpur Sports Academy and Goan Warriors were important as it helped the team iron out flaws and work on their strengths.

“Every practice game gave us information with regards to the room for improvement. In the beginning it was about getting the players to perform together and improve communication between them. Later it was about the fitness as we used the weeks running up to the League to get the players fully fit. We are working hard on the technical aspects and we are confident that the process is working positively for the players and the staff.”

The Blue Colts will take on Salgaocar in the opener at the Duler Stadium at 9 am on Saturday.