Indian football team set to miss Asian Games for the second time in a row

In a major blow to football in the country, the Sports Ministry of the Indian government has refused clearance for the national team to participate in the 2023 Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8. This is the second consecutive time that the Indian football team will not be participating in the Asian Games.

The reason given for the government's apathy is that the team does not meet the sports ministry's criteria for being amongst the top eight ranked teams in Asia. For the record, India are in 18th position among countries in the Asian Football Confederation. They were given the cold shoulder in 2018 as well, with the Indian Olympic Association refusing to clear them for the Games on the same grounds.

The Sports Ministry, in a letter sent to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and all the National Sports Federations (NSFs), has written:

"For team events, only those sports which have achieved a ranking up to eighth among participating countries of Asia in the last year should be considered for participation in Asian Games."

AIFF to appeal to the government to reconsider its decision

However, all hope is not lost for the Indian football team. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), led by Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran and President Kalyan Chaubey, is prepared to appeal to the government to reconsider its decision. This exclusion will hurt India tremendously, given the exposure it would have provided to its players.

Mr Prabhakaran, in an interaction with PTI, 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."

It has to be noted that India planned on sending their Under-23 team to the Games. Since 2002, the Asian Games have informally been an Under-23 affair, with three players above that age permitted.

Mr Prabhakaran added:

"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."

Earlier, the AIFF had planned for senior team coach Igor Stimac to take an Under-23 team to the Games after the conclusion of the King's Cup in Thailand in early September. If the government considers the appeal and reverses its decision, it could give a major spur to football in the country.