India, who won the 2008 edition at home to qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, have been placed in a tough Group ‘B’ with Turkmenistan and DPR Korea being the other two teams.
Kyrgyzstan have brought a strong side with the aim to at least reach the final in the eight-team tournament whose winners will get a berth for 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Doha.
Indian coach Sukhwinder Singh conceded that it would be a tough match though his boys are gearing up for the game against the Central Asians, who had lost 1-2 to Indian senior side in the Nehru Cup in New Delhi last year.
“The boys lacked international exposure. They have now got a chance to prove they can take on strong Asian sides after the SAFF Cup triumph,” Sukhwinder said.
“Most of the players were in the SAFF Cup winning side. They are inexperienced but it is good opportunity for them to play against technically better sides. We are building a team for the Asian Games (in November) and are looking forward to doing well in the tournament,” he added.
Asked about the strength of their opponents, Sukhwinder said, “We are not thinking about our opponents’ strength. Instead, we would play to our strength and give our best. We want to start the tournament with a win.”
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