We’ve to keep ourselves mentally fit, says Punjab FC’s Sanju Pradhan

KOLKATA: The 2020-21 edition of the

I-League

is set to start on Saturday. There will be three matches on the opening day with

RoundGlass Punjab FC

taking on

Aizawl FC

in the second match.


Midfielder

Sanju Pradhan

is one of the experienced faces in the Punjab FC squad and spoke about the upcoming I-League, the expectations and other aspects in an interview. Excerpts:

This is going to be a strange season in many ways. How are you preparing for it and what are your expectations?

It will definitely be different because I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my career. The club has given us great facilities and we’re very happy with that. After two months of preseason here in Kolkata, all I can tell you is that we’re getting ready for the season.

How difficult do you think it will be to stay in the bio-bubble for the entire duration of the league?

It will indeed be difficult but this is how it is in the new normal. Being professional footballers, we have to keep ourselves mentally fit despite the adversities.

How has been the pre-season? Please tell us about coach Curtis Fleming and his thoughts and philosophy.

As a senior player, I think the preparation has been good. We came to Kolkata in November. This, I feel, was a great move as we got the opportunity to adapt to the conditions. We are a new team and are trying to be competitive this season.

Curtis is very supportive. He is very positive. As players, we make a lot of mistakes but he always inspires us. I’ve hardly seen a coach like him in my career. He helps you improve all the time.

Joseba Beitia is part of the squad and he was a star in Mohun Bagan's I-League win last season. How is to combine with him in the midfield?

Everyone knows how good a player Joseba is. As a teammate, he makes our task easier. He is a player of amazing quality. During the preseason, I discovered the person that Joseba Beitia is and he is a wonderful guy. I’m sure his quality will be a great boost for us in this season.

There are quite a few young players in the squad. Being one of the most experienced players, how are you helping them?

I will definitely share my experience with the younger boys. It feels great to see our young players they are very smart and intelligent. In fact, they are making our job easy as they are very talented.