KOCHI: The footballers will be provided with special diet prescribed by the respective team management at the hotel where they will be staying. The teams are staying at Hotel Crowne Plaza at Kundannoor. The hotel has been completely reserved for FIFA until matches in Kochi end.A senior official with Hotel Crowne Plaza said the food for the players is being prepared based on the directions given by each team. “All the teams have recommended their own special diets. It mostly will be vegetables and fruits. Vegetable salads and fruit juices feature high on the menu. The diet will be low in fat and oil. The food will be either grilled or baked,” he said.
The menus are being prepared based on the recommendations of each team management and are confirmed every day. Crowne Plaza has been a preferred destination for the sportspersons including those who arrived for ISL and cricket matches which were held in Kochi.The entire hotel has been reserved for the World Cup teams, match referees and FIFA officials. Tight security has been arranged at the hotel. More CCTV cameras and security officials have been deployed at the hotel and its premises. Players will leave the hotel only for the matches and the practise sessions. “No travel plan other than practise sessions and matches have been scheduled for now. Security arrangement is very tight since it is a World Cup event,” a senior official said.
Teams from Spain, Brazil, North Korea and Niger arrived in Kochi on Tuesday. Germany and Guinea will play a match in Kochi. After the World Cup matches, ISL team will arrive here for its home matches until March next year.