Covid-19 tests before isolated training camp
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has decided to test all national team players and coaching staff for Covid-19 before August's training camp for the World Cup Qualifiers.
The decision was made at a meeting of BFF national teams committee (NTC) yesterday, with an eye on the national team's qualifying fixtures against Afghanistan and Qatar on October 8 and 13 respectively.
"Considering the Covid-19 situation, we are going to hold a six-week training camp for the national team after June-July. We have decided to test all players and support staff and keep them in isolation for 14 days at the start of August before the camp, which will begin on either August 20 or 22," BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed told reporters in a virtual press conference after an online meeting.
"We have already signed contract with Jamie Day for two more years and discussion with assistant coach Stuart Watkiss is going on. We are hoping the coaches will arrive in Bangladesh in the middle of August and have seven days' isolation before joining the camp," Nabil said. "We will initially call 44 players for the camp so that the camp isn't hampered due to the unavailability of players due to the Covid-19 tests."
The game's local governing body is also looking for a suitable place for the Isolation camp in or around the capital. It has been learnt that Bangabandhu National Stadium, BKSP, Sara Resort in Gazipur and Army commanding camp in Sylhet are in NTC's consideration for the residential camp.
"The coaches want to have training aboard but we don't know whether the countries we want to train in will accept us and what would be the situation at that time. But we are trying to communicate with some countries for the camp," Nabil added.
Replying to a query, Nabil said, "If we don't go outside to play practice matches, we will train two teams so that they can play practice matches among themselves to prepare for the qualifying fixtures."
The BFF vice-president also informed that they would communicate with Bashundhara Kings to release their players for the camp as there may be a clash of training between the national team and Bashundhara Kings, who are also supposed prepare for the AFC Cup, starting from October 23.
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