SAFF Championship 2013: Retaining the trophy won’t be easy – India defender Gouramangi Singh

Having played in two SAFF Championships already, defender Gouramangi Singh knows very well that India are always expected to win the regional tournament. But the vast improvement of nations like Afghanistan and Maldives means that record six-times champions India are no longer expected to have a calk walk.

India won’t have home advantage also unlike the last edition, which they won in New Delhi two years ago and thus Gouramangi expects a difficult tournament in Nepal.

“We are always the favourites on paper for the SAFF Cup and maybe that won’t change this time also. But the truth is that all the teams in the SAFF region have improved and will continue to do so and hence it won’t be easy for us to retain the title. We will give everything to try and go all the way but for now the focus will be to get the right preparation ahead of the tournament,” Gouramangi told Sportskeeda.

As part of their preparations for the SAFF Championship, India will be playing Tajikistan in an away international friendly on Wednesday before having a camp in Bangalore from Friday with the tournament starting in Kathmandu, Nepal from September 1.

Kathmandu was the venue of India’s dismal 2012 AFC Challenge Cup showing and the failure to qualify for the 2014 edition has only added to the pressure. As a result, anything less than a triumph in the 2013 SAFF Championship will be unacceptable but Gouramangi, who is now of the senior players in the national team, believes it is important to not look back on past failures.

“Whatever has happened previously cannot be changed so we cannot reflect too much now. We just have to get the right preparation and then look to get a good start in the tournament. As a professional player, whether you are playing at club or international level, every match or tournament is important. It is of course extra special when you represent your country so all of us want to win this competition again for our fans,” the Manipuri opined.

The central defender, who has scored five times in 63 international appearances, is also relishing the prospect of facing neighbours and arch-rivals Pakistan in the tournament opener on September 1.

“I think that fixture is great for everybody, especially the media! Also maybe it’s great for the tournament overall to have an India – Pakistan game as the opener. It will be a great occasion but we have to approach it like any other match and aim to get the right result,” the 27-year-old said.

Hosts Nepal and Bangladesh are the other teams in India’s group with Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan comprising the other group of this eight-nation tournament which will conclude on September 11.