Indian Arrows will play Real Kashmir Foot Ball Club (FC) in the IFA Shield in Kolkata on Wednesday, and top coach Venkatesh Shanmugam plans to make the most of the chance as part of the team's preparations for the I-League 2021/22.

"The Shield is such a historic tournament, and it will provide us at least two matches to put ourselves to the test and assess the players' decision-making. We've played few warm-up games in Bhubaneswar, but this will be a whole different experience "In a statement, Venkatesh added.

"Real Kashmir FC is our first opponent, and they are a physically demanding team. That will be a true litmus test for our boys. They'll be bringing in their foreign recruits, and we're ready for the fight. My boys have been advised to enjoy the challenge and to play without fear." Real Kashmir Foot Ball Club and Calcutta Customs Club have been placed in Group A with Indian Arrows. The top two teams advance to the second round after completing the round robin format, where they must play two back-to-back knockout matches against qualified teams from other groups in order to qualify for the quarterfinals.

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