Kalyan Chaubey, the President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), unveiled an ambitious vision for Indian football. His vision has generated excitement among fans and stakeholders. Chaubey’s remarks encompassed various aspects, ranging from India’s recent success in the SAFF Championship to importance AFC Asian Cup 2023. However, President was skeptical about the availability of the 4 week camp ahead of it.
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President Chaubey recognized the challenges posed by overlapping schedules and FIFA guidelines in relation to Coach Igor Stimac’s request for a four-week preparatory camp. He assured fans that the AIFF would make every effort to strike a balance and organize a camp within the limitations of the system. The AIFF’s aim is to provide the team with optimal preparation for the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup.
“FIFA has its own guidelines for release of players prior to international matches and tournaments. We have to follow these guidelines. If ISL, I-League and now even the Federation Cup runs together, besides India taking part in King’s Cup and Merdeka Cup, four-week camp may not be possible. Whatever possible within the system, I am sure we will deliver.”
Sunil Chhetri holds coach Igor Stimac’s desire for a lengthy training camp before important events such as the Asian Cup. Stimac has underlined the need of a four-week camp in order to adequately prepare the squad for the continental competition, which will feature challenging opponents such as Australia, Iran, and Uzbekistan. From January to February 2024, Doha will host the Asian Cup.
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Chaubey outlined a plan for the team to participate in a demanding schedule of 20-22 matches in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup. He stressed the importance of building strong relationships with foreign federations and expressed a desire to expand beyond the SAFF region.
Chaubey highlighted the potential for exploring opportunities in CAFA, the Middle East, and the Gulf. According to him, consistent growth and improvement can only be achieved through systematic training, competitive matches, and learning from high-quality opponents.
“It’s very important to improve our FIFA ranking. Unless we improve the rank, we will not get the fixture advantage of playing stronger teams, but this progress cannot happen overnight. I want the national team to play as many matches as possible. This team will play nearly 20-22 matches before the Asian Cup and we want to continue with that. “ Chaubey asserted.
President Chaubey attributed the remarkable turnaround in Indian football to the team’s willingness to take risks and their relentless hard work. Even if India had not won the SAFF Championship, Chaubey stressed the importance of inviting stronger teams from outside the region to enhance the team’s readiness for the AFC Asian Cup.
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He believed that true growth occurs when facing formidable opponents and learning from mistakes while maintaining a systematic training regime. Chaubey expressed his intention to continue inviting foreign teams in future editions of the SAFF Championship. He asserted that winning or losing the SAFF title was not the ultimate goal for Indian football.
“I am president of one of the national federations among SAFF region, but I was able to convince and make them understand that if we can bring one or two (outside) teams, it would be wonderful. Initially, they agreed on one, then I said, ‘Let’s try two.’ “ Chaubey was quoted saying.
“Because of their consent, we were able to have such a fantastic tournament. If given an option, I would definitely continue extending invitations. Winning or losing SAFF does not really matter (to India). Our target is not SAFF, we have to go beyond that. “
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