While the team is basking in the glory of the historic win and is eager to build on it as they eye a spot in the Round Of 16, there’s one man in the support staff for whom the whole Asian Cup routine seems to have come a full circle.
Assistant to head coach Stephen Constantine, Shanmugam Venkatesh was one of the key members of the Indian side that travelled to Qatar for the 2011 Asian Cup, ending India’s three-decade-long hiatus. But unlike like this time, the 2011 campaign was anything but successful.
Grouped alongside heavyweights Australia, South Korea and Bahrain, the Indians were mere spectators and were made to return home after the group stages after heavy losses in each of their matches.
So a win at this competition means a bit more to Venkatesh than to others.
Questions comparing the two Indian sides is unavoidable for Venkatesh, but the former India midfielder is courteous enough to give his version of what sets the two side’s apart.
Having solved the Thailand puzzle with ease, a bigger and much stiffer challenge awaits India in their next group game.
They take on hosts the UAE, a team that’s tipped to go the distance in the competition. But Venky, as he’s loving called, isn’t fazed by the challenge that awaits them on January 10.
So what’s the one thing that Venkatesh, the assistant coach of the Indian team expects the most from his boys going into a game as big as the one against UAE?
The message is simple and clear, well isn’t that the case with most of the things Venky does?
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