Mohammedan Sporting Club’s pre-season training kicked off at the Mohammedan Sporting Club Ground in Kolkata on Monday (June 20).

The first training session of the 2016-17 season began with an introductory period between the players, coaching staff and club officials, followed by some physical drills under the watchful eyes of newly appointed head coach Mridul Banerjee to evaluate the fitness levels of the players, before starting a full fledged training.

“It feels great to come back at the club where I began my coaching career. Mohammedan SC always have a special place in my heart, and I am thankful to the club officials for putting their trust in me,” coach Banerjee said.

Apart from coach Banerjee, former India international and club captain Naseem Akhtar has also joined the backroom staff as the goalkeeper coach cum mentor.

A total of 17 players attended the session, however, the majority of them were locals, as most of the players hailing from other states have not reached the city yet. Ivorian defender Lancine Toure was the lone foreigner to attend the session.

Beside, retaining several players from the previous season, the club management has boosted the squad with some new additions and few more are in advanced talks with the club.

“Like last season, this year also we mostly have junior players in the side. However, we performed relatively well last season, and I am pretty much hopeful for a similar kind of performance this time around. There is always a certain amount of risk to go with a inexperienced side, but one thing we must not forget that junior players will be hungry to prove themselves from the word go, and there are some exciting talents in the side who can make it big in coming days.” coach Banerjee added.

(Report & Photo courtesy Mohammedan Sporting Club)