In uncertain times, Gokulam Kerala FC try to keep the faith

“Full punch, we are going ahead,” said Priya PV, the Gokulam Kerala FC (GKFC) women’s team head coach, her enthusiasm coming through on the Whatsapp call from Tashkent. “We did gym work in the morning and have a video session planned for the evening.” Another day, another time this would have been normal service with a team readying for Asia’s apex women’s club competition. But with FIFA suspending the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on the day they reached Tashkent, it would take a lot to stay chirpy.

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Along with Iran’s Bam Khatoon, GKFC were supposed to travel to Qarshi on Wednesday for the AFC Women’s Club Championship. The Iran team left as scheduled but Ashok Kumar, the GKFC CEO, who is with the team in Uzbekistan, said they weren’t provided flight tickets. “Maybe the UFA (Uzbekistan Football Association) is waiting. When we had enquired about the tickets from Tashkent to Qarshi before leaving India, they had said it would be handed over when we get here. Then the ban happened.”

The team had travelled all of August 15 so there were no plans to train on August 16. The players took a trip around Tashkent but were supposed to train in Qarshi on Wednesday evening. Now they are stuck in Tashkent.

GKFC are supposed to open in the 2022 edition against home team Sogdiana on August 23. That is, one day after the Supreme Court hears the matter following a request from the Union government which told the top court on Wednesday that there have been fruitful discussions with FIFA. “We are so hoping that we get an exemption to play this competition. We feel we have a good chance to qualify from this group,” said Kumar.

GKFC beat Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan 3-1 last year after becoming the first Indian team to play in Asia’s top club event. This time they have Iran’s Bam Khatoon too in the three-team group with the toppers making the final where they will meet the winners of the three-team group playing in Chonburi, Thailand.

“Our management has told us to wait till August 22,” said Kumar. So, GKFC will start training in Tashkent on Thursday, having managed to get a ground with help from UFA, said Kumar. Keeping in mind Covid-19 protocol, GKFC must reach Qarshi by Friday or Saturday said Kumar. Till there is clarity, the team is going about its routine. Kumar called it a “thunderbolt we have had to face.”

Kumar said he is meeting the players at meals to try and keep their spirits up. Priya said the players are dealing with this like “sportspersons.”

Nearly 18 of the 30 players on their roster, including Aditi Chauhan, Dalima Chibber and Ghanaian striker Elshaddai Acheampong, who scored two goals in this competition last year and 20 in the 2021-22 Indian Women’s League to win the golden boot, have left, said Kumar. “But we toured countries in Africa and got three new players: No. 10 Vivian Adjei and goalie Beatrice Nketia from Ghana and Kenyan striker Bertha Omita,” he said. “We have also got our No.9 Savitra Bhandari back from injury.” And they have six India players including captain Ashalata Devi, the defender having joined from Sethu FC this term.

Priya, back with the team after an India assignment, said this squad is better than last year when GKFC finished third among four sides. “We trained 60 days for this in Kozhikode and with Simba (Bhandari) back, we came here with high hopes of winning the group,” she said.

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