The Gas Resources Central Dabaris have commenced their preseason training at the Sir John Guise Stadium Mutli-purpose Oval on Monday, January 6th, 2025, and will continue the grueling preseason in the next 14 weeks.
The Dabaris have had a roller-coaster year in the 2024 Digicel-ExxonMobil Cup season, shying away from reaching the playoffs and finishing 7th on the standings in the 12-team competition.
Under the watch of interim coach Solomon Kuluniasi, the Central franchise made some inroads and put the competition on notice last season, but they unfortunately missed the finals.
Kuluniasi replaced Steven Gunua in the 2024 mid-season and led the Dabaris to the conclusion of the regular season, missing the playoffs by an inch. The trainer-turned-coach was recently appointed as the head coach of the Dabaris this season.
The Kuluniasi-coached Dabaris have assembled a 60-man train-on squad for the preseason training, with the number of players expected to be trimmed down to 30 before the 2025 season kicks off.
Coach Kuluniasi briefly highlighted the Dabaris’ training sessions and spoke highly of the players’ attitude towards training, and the eagerness they had for this season.
“We have a 60-man squad broken into two groups. One team has to do gym and field sessions, and the other will focus on field sessions only,” he gave a rundown on their training schedule.
“We did our conditioning on Monday and will continue on Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday, we did our skills and speed sessions and on Wednesday, we did our recovery session. We train until Saturday.”
The team consists of old and new faces, including the pathway or development players. A mixture of experience and youth adds flexibility and flair to the Gas Resources-sponsored franchise.
Adding to the excitement, the PNG Hunters duo Alex Max and Koso Bandi have been training with the Dabaris since Monday. Their presence has boosted the morale of the players during the training sessions.
“Alex and Koso have come in and helped the boys. They are high-profile players, playing for the Hunters, Kumuls, and PM’s XIII. The boys look up to them, so it was good to have them train with us,” Kuluniasi said.
“Once they know that they carry a bit of role and responsibility, it just helps them become leaders. They are leaders, they just have to come out of their shells. All my young boys look up to them.
“Not only did the club (Dabaris) help Alex and Koso, but also they helped us by driving some standards during the training. They turned up early and trained with intensity.
“When we had breaks, they were talking about what the standard is, how to master the skills, and the overall attitude of the players. I’m happy for Alex and Koso.”
Coach Solomon Kuluniasi said he was happy with their roster and the progress of the players, but admitted that there’s more work to be done to prepare his troops for the season opener in April.
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