We are ready for doping test — Coach Kenichi
The head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Kenichi Yatsuhashi, has defended the fitness of his team and thrown a challenge to critics, particularly Techiman City owner, Charles Kwadwo Ntim (Micky Charles), who claims the amazing stamina being displayed by the Hearts players and the club’s sudden turnaround in form could be due to the influence of dope.
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The Japanese-American coach says his players stamina is due to hard work and is ready to avail the players to tests in the presence of his critics.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash in Techiman, Micky Charles stirred up a hornet’s nest asking for the Hearts players to undergo doping tests.
“Article 36 of the GFA regulations talks about doping, and I want the FA to test them (Hearts of Oak) before Sunday’s game in Techiman,” he said last Monday.
But a bemused Hearts coach told the Graphic Sports after the team’s training at the Ajax Park at Legon yesterday that he was amazed at the utterances of Charles and he labelled them as wrong and false conclusions.
“We are ready for the test. We have nothing to defend because we are not doping. Doping is cheating and it is against my principle. They are welcome to do the testing because I have nothing to hide,” said Yatsuhashi.
“Physically we are in top condition and it’s not that the players are having mental disruption or anything. Of course, there were technical problems to fix after last Sunday’s game which we fixed yesterday and today.”
Apparently angered by the doping accusations, the expatriate coach took to Facebook yesterday morning to express his grievances.
He wrote on his timeline that “observing football match by untrained eyes can lead to wrong conclusions. Deep knowledge of football fitness paired with analysis system, such as Polar Heart Rate Monitors, ensures what is happening with our players’ bodies”.
“Intensity and volume of the training must be monitored according to the macro cycle and the micro cycle….After having a very good training this morning, I maintained my health by swimming for 1500 metres and Polar V800 kept track of my training routine,” Kenichni stressed.
However, the 46-year-old Yatsuhashi condemned the fans reaction after the team lost 1-3 in the Week Six fixtures, saying that their action did not help the players to focus and bounce back into the game.