Zavisa advises players to remain active during lockdown

KARACHI: Former Pakistan football coach Zavisa Milosavljevic of Serbia has said that any player who wants to continue playing competitive football after the COVID-19 pandemic should be active four or five days per week during the lockdown.

“Any player who plans to continue playing after the COVID-19 should be active 4-5 days per week, total 6-8 training sessions,” Zavisa told ‘The News’ from Serbia on Tuesday. “The goal of training is to develop and keep general endurance, strength and endurance in strength. Introductory and final part of training should include ball technique exercises, coordination, specific movements and stretching,” said Zavisa, who these days is attached with the Uzbekistan team.

“Work in aerobic mode, pulse 140-160, which practically means that we are in the general stage of preparation,” Zavisa said. “Development of general aerobic ability is done in 4-5 repetitions of 8-10 minutes of running. Endurance in strength is done in circular training in 4-5 series, 10-12 exercises. The 30 seconds work-30 sec rest. Pulse 140–160,” he said.

“It is very important to do these trainings. It is the basis for the transition to the development of specific abilities,” Zavisa said. Zavisa coached Pakistan for two years earlier in this decade. After he was released, he joined Kyrgyzstan club Dordoi Bishkek as a coach and enabled it to become the national champion.

The important thing about Dordoi was that a handful of Pakistani players had been part of the champions club of Bishkek. It was Zavisa who provided the platform to the Pakistani players by inducting them into Dordoi. It was indeed a golden period for Pakistan’s top footballers, including captain Saddam Hussain and former captain Kaleemullah.

Kaleem moved from Dordoi to play in the United States in the United Soccer League, Turkey, Iraq and Russia. This opened floodgates of professional football for Pakistani players who then played in leagues in Bahrain and other countries.