Indian Football Team To Participate In Asian Games

The Indian men’s football team has received permission from the Ministry of Sports to compete in the 2017 Asian Games. The Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China, beginning September 23. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had previously refused to give them the go-ahead to compete in the Asian Games. The Indian football teams weren’t ranked among the top-8 in Asia. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) then requested the participation of both the men’s and women’s teams in the prestigious competition from the Sports Ministry, while national senior squad head coach Igor Stimac also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s help. Scroll down to read more details about the Indian Football Team To Participate In Asian Games.

Indian Football Team To Participate In Asian Games

A source with knowledge of the situation told PTI, “The current national team has seven U-23 first-team players, and since three over-age players are allowed, skipper Chhetri, custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and defender Sandesh Jhingan are all set to go for the Asian Games if the team gets permission.”

Anurag Thakur, the sports minister, said on Twitter on Wednesday that there will be an exception and that both the men’s and women’s national football teams will compete in the premier continental competition.

Thakur tweeted, “Good news, football fans in India! The men’s and women’s national football teams from our country will take part in the 2019 Asian Games. The Government of India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has agreed to alter the standards to make it easier for both teams to participate who didn’t meet the requirements under the previous standard. The Ministry decided to give the relaxation after considering their most recent performances. They will undoubtedly compete at their highest level and represent our nation with pride at the Asian Games.”

Check out Anurag Thakur’s tweet below:

In truth, the AIFF has created a list of 50 youngsters under the age of 23. They have sent it to the appropriate clubs. According to the sources, the plan is to develop another group of players under the age of 23. These players might be employed for the Thai King’s Cup and the AFC under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers.