The Indian football team is in risk of missing the Asian Games 2022, which will be hosted in China in September 2023. The IOA had declined to approve Sunil Chhetri & Co on the same grounds that it was not rated in Asia’s top eight. The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
Both the men’s and women’s football teams are likely to miss the Asian Games for the second time in a row. This is because they have not met the criteria set by the Union Sports Ministry, which requires them to be ranked among the top-8 teams in the continent.
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Initially, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had planned for Igor Stimac, the national senior team head coach, to lead an Under-23 squad at the Asian Games. Before that, the team is set to participate in the Kings Cup in Thailand, which will be held from September 7 to 10.
The Sports Ministry sent a letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and all National Sports Federations (NSFs). The letter stated that only sports teams meeting the criterion of being ranked up to eighth among participating Asian countries in the past year should be considered for the Asian Games.
Unfortunately, India’s men’s team currently falls well below the top-8 in Asia according to the rankings. The team currently holds the 18th position among countries in the Asian Football Confederation. Similarly, India’s women’s team is ranked 10th in Asia.
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However, The AIFF has expressed its intention to appeal to the sports ministry to reconsider this decision.
AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran said, “This is a decision taken by the government. So, we have to abide by it. However, we will make an appeal to the government to reconsider the decision as far as football is concerned. The Indian team’s performance this year has been extremely encouraging. It will be a great boost for football, especially for the U-23 boys, if they get an opportunity to play in the Asian Games.”
IOA had previously declined to clear the Indian football team for the 2018 Asian Games on the same grounds, as it was not ranked among the top-8 in Asia. There is a provision in the Sports Ministry’s instructions sent to the IOA and NSFs, which could give a ray of hope to the AIFF headed by Kalyan Chaubey.
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