Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Fitness tests encouraging as players zone in for the long haul Collective focus imperative for future success
By Franklin Wilson
Wilson Toledo busy recording data during the fitness sessions.
Wilson Toledo at work.
Kaieteur News – Head of Sports Science for the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wilson Toledo, has informed that training for the local based players which commenced one-week ago after the thumbs-up to resume was given by the National Covid-19 Task Force, progress has been steady.
The Guyana Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) re-commenced training after a long layoff due to the covid-19 ahead of competition in the re-scheduled FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Concacaf Qualifiers set to commence in March.
Fitness tests were conducted with the local based players at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Facility, Providence, East Bank Demerara led by Toledo who said the aerobic test known as the beep tests kicked things off.
All the players and staff involved would have been tested for covid-19 as a pre-requisite and would have all returned negative results.“We continued with the physical evaluation of the lower limbs with the power (jump test) and speed test (R.A.S.T test 35m). The results were not so bad. Half of the team showed results between 45 to 50% and the other half of the team from 50 to 60%.”
Some 70% of the training on Tuesday was dedicated to physical training with 30% focusing on the technical aspect, Toledo informed.
Márcio Máximo – GFF SMNT Head Coach.
“We will continue with this same process for two more weeks with a lot of volume and little intensity. From the fourth week the values of volume and intensity will begin to change as the physical training will be more intense and with less volume. The technical and tactical training will be more important within these sessions.
We are projecting that the players at this stage will attain between 75% to 85% physical condition so that at the beginning of the competition, we will have an excellent performance.”
Meanwhile, Head Coach Márcio Máximo said that he is satisfied with the level of commitment shown so far by the players pointing out that there was 100% attendance. He also said that the covid-19 pandemic has dented preparations of all national teams so players must be wise and maximise the time available to get into the best possible shape understanding their responsibilities and what is expected of them.
“This week was a very productive one for us; we will continue to do more technical and tactical work as we keep developing our local players in keeping with the GFF policy. We are very happy and hope that everything works out well.”
Plans are in motion to organise a friendly match for the local unit sometime next month which would help the Technical team evaluate their progress and readiness ahead of the first match against Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday March 25th in the Twin Island Republic.
The Golden Jaguars’ Group F campaign will continue five days later here (March 30th) when they come up against the Bahamas. St. Kitts & Nevis and Puerto Rico are also in this group. The winner of the group will proceed to the second round where they will join the winners of the five other groups. The pre determined matchups would see Group A winner vs Group F winner, Group B winner vs Group E winner and Group C winner vs Group D winner.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Bureaucracy gone bananas!
…Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Every morning, the government wakes up, stretches its arms, and spends one billion dollars... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
