Football Commonwealth Games: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has advocated for football to be included in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2026. PT Usha, IOA president, and Kalyan Chaubey, interim CEO and joint secretary, met with Dame Louise Martin, head of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), at regional meetings in Brisbane attended by delegates from 21 nations and territories from Oceania and Asia. Follow AIFF and Indian Football Team LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN
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The CGF president met with Kalyan Chaubey, who is also the head of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). He argued in favour of adding the most popular sport in the world as an under-23 competition similar to the Olympics and Asian Games.
“I visited Australia as the IOA joint secretary and acting CEO and took the liberty as AIFF president to tell CWF president that football should be included,” Chaubey told TOI during a recent visit to Goa. “During the discussion, the president said there are some issues with FIFA (on the inclusion of football). Then I suggested instead of senior men’s championship, you can have an under-23 event like Olympics and Asian Games.”
FIFA has long resisted allowing elderly athletes to compete in international competitions like the Asian Games and the Olympics. Teams can have three overage players under the present system in addition to a group of under-23 athletes.
🚨 | AIFF President and IOA joint-secretary Kalyan Chaubey has made a push for inclusion of football at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Australia. He has suggested that instead of senior men’s championship, CWG should have an u23 event like Olympics and Asian Games. [TOI] pic.twitter.com/TbShFXIvnj
— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) May 1, 2023
According to Chaubey, adding football to the Commonwealth Games won’t merely boost interest in the competition. Additionally, it will give less powerful nations the chance to compete against the best Commonwealth football teams, including those from England, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Wales, Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria.
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“I explained that teams normally don’t get a chance to play against the top 50-70 FIFA ranked countries at senior level and there remains a gap between those at the top and teams below. In age-group competitions, there is not much difference. A top team can play mid-ranked country of the Commonwealth.”
“For India, this can make a big difference. If our under-23 team features at the Commonwealth Games and play higher-ranked teams, it will do them a world of good. These players will go on to become seniors in two years,” added Chaubey.
The British Empire Games, a multisport extravaganza for British empire territories, were the precursor to the Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years and were first held in Canada in 1930. The British-colonized nations are among those taking part. The 2010 Commonwealth Games were held in India.
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