More focus on building a team for future rather than quick results from AFC C’ship: Constantine

Doha: Indian National Team Coach Stephen Constantine, presently in charge of the India U-23 Team prefers the ‘long-term goal’ rather churn out quick results from the forthcoming AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers which kicks-off here tomorrow when they play Syria in their opener. “I’ve been a person who have always preferred to build a ‘team for the future.’ I’m working with this bunch of guys so that a few may come up the ranks and land up with the senior National Team in the coming days,” Stephen stated in the pre-tournament press conference here this afternoon. India U-23 headed into the Championship on the back of a two-week long Camp in New Delhi followed by two back-to-back International Friendlies against Singapore in Singapore. A year back, Syria who had made it to the finals of the last edition of the AFC U-23 AFC Championship Qatar 2016. But while their campaign didn’t go turn out to be as planned, they look forward to bettering their record at the same venue. (UNI)