Fitness to the fore in Asian Cup
[SOCCER] Thailand's players must be supremely fit to match giants such as Australia and Iraq in the Asian Cup next month, said Worawi Makudi, the president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT).
Worawi, who was present at a ceremony where the Asian Football Confederation signed a sponsorship deal with electronic giants Samsung, said the team knows their weaknesses and were working hard to address them in Germany where they are training for three weeks. "Our players must be able to run longer than 90 minutes. The team is working hard on its fitness and is getting better and better. They are playing matches against German outfits to increase their fitness level. The players will come back in better shape on June 26,'' he said. Hosts Thailand are drawn in Group A along with Australia, who have English Premier League players in their ranks, Iraq and Oman. The FAT president said the match and practice venues are in fine shape with only minor things to be sorted out before the end of the month. Security measures will be tightened during the matches. Accessibility within certain areas of the stadium will be exclusive for those possessing ID cards, Worawi said.
Lerpong Amsa-ngiam The Nation
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