Chennaiyin FC players during a practice session at Nehru park in Chennai. (TOI Photo)

CHENNAI: After four ISL seasons, it seems that Chennaiyin FC (CFC) have finally decided to build a permanent base in the city. It was learnt that CFC players, who stay at a city hotel during the ISL season, are likely to move into a residential training facility at Sri Ramachandra Medical College 's Centre for Sports Science (CSS) from next season. This year, CFC already have CSS as their medical partners.

An official at the centre confirmed the development on Wednesday. "We will be expanding our partnership from next year. The CFC under-17 team is already training and the senior team too will use our facilities as the base from next season. While the U-17 boys are training on the matting ground for the time being, we will be developing a FIFA-standard football ground and practice facilities next year. It will be a full-fledged football academy for them. They can reside, practice and use our training facilities for their fitness tests and biomechanics," the official told TOI on Wednesday.

As part of the biomechanics exercise, CSS did a few tests on former CFC player Bernard Mendy on Wednesday. "We did some biomechanic and fitness tests on Mendy and it was successful. Till now our focus was on cricket. But we are spreading our wings. We have analysed that cricket is mainly a cardio-vascular endurance sport while football is speed-endurance sport where you have to be really fast. So we hope all our study will be helpful for CFC," said the official.

SRMC, which is an ICC-accredited testing centre, is also keen to open a FIFA centre for excellence, where footballers can use its facilities to recuperate from injuries. The official said that working with CFC is a step further in that direction. "CFC had come to us a few years earlier and trained with us. But things didn't work out then. This time, we have both conceptualized the whole thing. It is a win-win situation and a step in the right direction to get the FIFA-accreditation and recognition," the official said.

