Healing Robin, Ganesh get national camp call-up

While Robin had injured his right knee during the SAFF Suzuki Cup in December 2015, Ganesh had also injured his right knee ACL during India’s World Cup Qualifier against Iran in September 2015.

Robin Singh has been frequenting the Delhi camp to get his rehabilitation assessed by the national team's medical staff

India football coach Stephen Constantine has summoned injured players Robin Singh and Dhanpal Ganesh to the national camp in New Delhi to monitor and assess their recovery process.

While Robin had injured his right knee during the SAFF Suzuki Cup in December 2015, Ganesh had also injured his right knee ACL during India’s World Cup Qualifier against Iran in September 2015.

National coach Stephen Constantine particularly wanted Ganesh to stay in the camp and get himself assessed and treated by the national team’s medical staff as the player aims to get back in action in another three months. The national team is currently in a preparatory camp in Delhi for India’s forthcoming matches against Iran and Turkmenistan in the Russia 2018 World Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.

Local boy Robin has also been visiting the national camp regularly where he is being assessed and advised by the team staff.

On the call-up, Constantine said: “It’s important for the players to understand that the AIFF will always support them. We are trying to aid the recovery process. players who get injured are never to be thrown away as scrap and it’s important to handle them with care.”

“I just wish a speedy recovery to Ganesh and Robin as well as Eugene (Eugenson Lyngdoh) and Anas,” he said.

Robin expressed his gratitude to Constantine. “He has been a huge support and a pillar of strength to me. I am in constant touch with him. It feels bad to be missing Games but the injury will just motivate me to begin from where I had left,” he added.

Ganesh said he regretted missing the SAFF Suzuki Cup. “I wanted to be part of the squad. When I watch the pictures of the celebrations in the dressing room, it feels bad that I couldn’t be there. But here I am in the camp again with all the boys. The coach has just been supporting me like anything,” he said.

It’s been five months since the operation and Ganesh is raring to go. “Constantine has been regularly calling me up. Gigi-Sir (National Team Physio Gigi Geroge) and Dr. Kamal (Sreejith Kamal) have shown me the path ahead. I am following the regime and hope to be back at the earliest.”

Midfielder Eugenson Lyngdoh, who had a hairline fracture of the fibula, is likely to begin training with his club Bengaluru FC from next week.