AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: For the first time perhaps in recent times the National Camp has seen two Players on rehab being summoned by the National Coach to monitor and assess the recovery process which Robin Singh and Dhanpal Ganesh are presently undergoing.

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 specially summoned Ganesh to stay in the Camp to get himself assessed, treated and advised by the Medical Staff of the National Team as the Player aims to get back to action in another three months.

However, with Robin being a local boy, he has been visiting the National Camp regularly where he is also being assessed and advised by the Medical Staff of the National Team.

Speaking to www.the-aiff.com, National Coach Stephen Constantine said its “important to treat the Players with respect.”

“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.

The National Team is currently in a Preparatory Camp in Delhi for India’s forthcoming back to back matches against Iran and Turkmenistan in the Russia 2018 World Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.

Robin stated that he is “hitting two birds with one arrow when he drops into the National Camp.”

“I am on contract with Delhi Dynamos who have been paying my salary. The National Team is my second family. I hit two birds with one arrow when I drop in at Camp. Firstly, it’s an opportunity to meet all my friends, and secondly, it’s a chance to be with the Medical Staff of the National Team,” he stated.

“The expenses of the surgery and post treatment which was borne by Delhi Dynamos have been a success and I am dying to get back on the field at the earliest.”

Robin picked up Constantine to express his gratitude to him. “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 who was present in the same Medical Room admitted he “missed the SAFF Suzuki Cup like anything.”

“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 maintains.

It’s been almost 5 months that he got himself operated and is waiting to go into those tackles again.

“Constantine has been regularly calling me up. He has been monitoring and his care has touched me deeply,” he added. “Gigi-Sir (National Team Physio Gigi Geroge), Dr. Kamal (Team Doctor Dr. Sreejith Kamal) and Danny (Sports Scientist Danny Deigan) have shown me the path ahead. I am following the regime and hope to be back at the earliest.”

“I also need to make a mention of Chhenaiyin FC and their help during the initial stages,” he added. “Nowadays I get plenty of time to watch I-League matches on television but I would have loved to be in action.”

Ganesh has been regularly dropping into the Ambedkar Stadium in the Team Bus where he is further put to the process by Gigi, Dr. Kamal and Danny.

Meanwhile, the National Team ad two practice sessions at the Stadium on Saturday (November 19).

When www.the-aiff.com caught up with 2015 AIFF Player of the Year Eugenson Lyngdoh, the midfield maestro was sweating it out at the gym. “I am missing the National Camp,” he spoke later over the phone from Shillong. “As a kid, everyone has a dream of representing your Country. The joy and satisfaction of getting to represent India cannot be described in words. My best wishes to the Team for the forthcoming matches,” he expressed.

“I was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of the fibula. My rehab has been good and I am expecting to be training with my Club from next week,” he further informed.