Bhutan’s under-17 football team left for China today to compete in AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers. Bhutan is drawn in Group C alongside South Korea, China, Bahrain, and the Maldives. China is the centralised venue for Group C with all the matches scheduled to be played from October 19 to 27 at Liaoning Province.
The 23-member Bhutanese squad last attended their in-country training yesterday at the Changjiji Artificial Turf. Except on Sundays, the team has been training every day for two hours for about a year in anticipation of various tournaments.
Similarly, the young dragon boys were also provided with one-hour gym sessions, twice a week.
Chencho, Fitness Coach of Bhutan Football Federation Academy said “The reason for having gym sessions for footballers is firstly, to gain stamina and strength. This will strengthen their muscles, so that they can run and be agile on the field. Secondly, it is to minimise injuries. If we do not train on gym, the players will become prone to many injuries.”
16-year-old Ngawang Yonten, the team captain said that although the tournament will be a tough test for Bhutan against the likes of China and South Korea, he said that his team will give a good fight.
Ngawang Yonten, Captain of Bhutan U-17 Football Team said “We have gained a lot of experience from the SAFF Championship. In the AFC Qualifiers, we have to face to Asian teams like South Korea and China but we will give our best. We will be competing against Asia’s strongest teams, so we will come back with more experience which will benefit us in the future.”
Sonam Dorji, Midfielder of Bhutan U-17 Football Team said “For this competition, we have trained well for a year. We have also participated in the SAFF Championship and through this tournament, we gained a lot of experience. We will take this experience as an advantage and perform better by showcasing our talent against strong teams such as China and Korea who have even played in the World Cup.”
Meanwhile, the head coach said besides challenges, he is optimistic of a good performance in China.
Yeshi Wangchuk, Head Coach of Bhutan U-17 Football Team said “As we have to play on natural ground in this tournament, we are at a disadvantage as our boys do not have much experience in playing on natural ground. However, after having the official training session at China, I hope it won’t make much of a difference. Similarly, in terms of weather conditions, it is a little colder compared to Bhutan. So I am worried that the weather condition might affect our performance.”
In the opening match of the qualifiers, Bhutan will face the Maldives on Saturday. 43 South Asian teams are taking part in the qualification round which are divided into 10 groups.
The 10 group winners and five best second-placed teams will advance to the main tournament which will be held in April next year in Saudi Arabia.
Four-time winners Japan are the defending champions of the championship.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
