For the first time in nine years, the Indian Men’s and Women’s Football Teams will compete at the Asian Games. Head coach Igor Stimac praised the Indian Sports Ministry for allowing them to compete in the forthcoming Asian Games. The huge event will begin on September 23 in Hangzhou, China.
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Stimac also expressed his gratitude for Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. The ministry had previously decided not to allow either the men’s or women’s teams to compete since they were not among Asia’s top eight-ranked teams. Given the team’s recent performance, they decided to explore an experiment.
The Indian men’s team Head Coach Igor Stimac said: “It’s a great day for Indian football. An enormously encouraging decision by the honourable Sports Minister Anurag Thakur ji and our government. Big thanks to all of them for allowing us the opportunity to challenge the best teams in the Asian Games.”
“I will also like to give a big thanks to our President, Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, Secretary General Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran and all the others for this.”
Head coach Igor Stimac had earlier requested with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to intercede in order for the squad to participate. Stimac will be the team’s coach in the Asian Games. The development comes after AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey had earnestly campaigned for the same.
The Indian team will now compete in the Asian Games for the first time since 2014 after being skipping Jakarta 2018 Games based on the same grounds. The U-23 football competition at the Asian Games allows for the inclusion of three players older than that age.
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The men’s team won the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Cup in rapid succession, thanks to some spectacular performances. The women’s team overcame Kyrgyzstan in two legs in April to win the first round of Olympic qualification.
The Indian Men’s Team has a long history in the Asian Games, winning gold in the first edition in 1951. Following that, he finished second in 1962 and won a bronze medal at the 1970 Olympics. The 1951 Asian Games are particularly famous for Indian football enthusiasts. The tournament was held in New Delhi, India, and the Blue Tigers won.
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