The India men’s and women’s football teams have got the sports ministry’s green light to participate in the Asian Games. The decision on Wednesday comes as a huge victory for Kalyan Chaubey, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) joint secretary, over his detractors.
After much deliberation, the ministry decided to relax the existing selection criteria which allow only teams ranked in the top-eight in Asia in the past one year to participate.
The tournament in Hangzhou, China, begins in September.
The IOA, headed by PT Usha, had earlier refused to clear the Indian football teams for the Asian Games saying it would adhere to the ministry guidelines.
The AIFF appealed for an exemption to allow the men’s and women’s sides to take part in the prestigious event with national senior team head coach Igor Stimac also seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention.
“Good news for Indian football lovers! Our national football teams, both Men’s and Women’s, are set to participate in the upcoming Asian Games,” sports minister Anurag Thakur tweeted on Wednesday.
“The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, has decided to relax the rules to facilitate the participation of both the teams, which were not qualifying as per the existing criterion.
“Keeping in mind their latest performances in recent times, the Ministry decided to grant the relaxation. I am sure they will put their best foot forward in the Asian Games and make our country proud,” he added.
India, who have won the gold medals in 1951 and 1962 and a bronze in 1970, did not participate in the 2018 Asian Games.
Since 2002, football in the Asian Games has been a U-23 affair and three players above that age are permitted in the playing XI. However, since the Games were postponed by a year due the Covid-19 situation in China, the organisers decided to raise the age limit by one year too. If the competition had been held on schedule last year, players born on January 1, 1999, or after would have been eligible. With Hangzhou’s decision, those 1999 births will remain eligible.
“It’s a great day for Indian football and an enormously encouraging decision by the honourable sports minister Anurag Thakurji and our government!” Stimac said in an AIFF media statement.
“It’s indeed an important day for Indian Football and a testament to our resolution to develop the sport in India,” Chaubey, who had met home minister Amit Shah a couple of weeks ago, said.
Stimac would take the Under-24 Indian side to China after the King’s Cup in Thailand (September 7-10).
Senior national team captain Sunil Chhetri, defender Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will be the three over-24 players in the 22-man squad.
The draw for men’s and women’s teams will be held on Thursday.
The AIFF has prepared a list of 50 players who will feature in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers to be held in September, King’s Cup and the Asian Games. The team which will be playing in the King’s Cup is expected to travel to China.
India, buoyed by three title wins in four months, are now 99 in the Fifa rankings. The women’s team have also done well in the recent past.
