Indian footballers need vigorous training to increase endurance and tone up lower body muscles though they are better off in terms of speed and abdominal muscle strength.

Disclosing this information on the basis of the fitness tests results at the ongoing All India Football Federation-organised Sports Medicine program 'Fitness for Football', course director Vece Paes said Indian footballers need to work on their lower body muscles to ensure they play to their full potential for 90 minutes.

Paes, who is also chairman of AIFF's sports medicine program, said the players who were put to the 'Blip test' recorded an average of 12.1 against the average of 13, scored by members of the Australian Olympic team in 2000.

"Our boys' speed and abdominal muscle strength are comparable to their counterparts in Australia. Overall, the fitness situation is not that bad. I am quite satisfied with their performances," Paes said.

He said the Australian football team was selected as the benchmark, since the program, funded from the money given by soccer's apex body FIFA for football development, was designed in association with the Australian Institute of Sports.

Paes said as a follow-up, similar programs would be drawn up at the junior level as also for clubs participating in the National Football League.

The program laid stress on three areas: strength training, spirit endurance training and recovery programs, to make the players aware of different elements of fitness.

Paes said the players were given resource materials including CDs and program charts which they will have to follow for the next three months.

"We have given them exercise charts. A CD on the training program of top English outfit Arsenal has also been given to them," he said.

Paes said detailed fitness and medical tests would again be conducted on the players in mid-August.

The entire East Bengal team, including star striker Baichung Bhutia, was exempted for the day's session considering their coming engagement in the ASEAN Cup.

The others who attended listened to lectures on fitness, FIFA's doping policy and testing procedures as also on the necessity of proper planning at the beginning of the season to achieve peak performance.

Striker Rahim Nabi, one of the participants, expressed happiness with the program, saying, "It has a number of novel elements."