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Three days after India were forced to withdraw from the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022, head coach Thomas Dennerby has come up with some shocking revelations and questioned the Asian Football Confederation's handling of the proceedings.
The Blue Tigresses had to forfeit their game against Chinese Taipei on January 23 as they didn't have enough players available to field a full starting lineup for the game owing to a COVID-19 outbreak in their camp.
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Furthermore, as the game was called off due to India's inability to field the required squad (13 players), India were held responsible for the situation and considered to have withdrawn from the tournament according to Section 4.1 of the AFC rulebook.
However, Thomas Dennerby, during a virtual press meet on Wednesday, disclosed how the devastating string of events unfolded once the Indian Women's Team entered the AFC bio-bubble.
"We aren't happy with the AFC tournament organizers. The lack of solution and dialogue from AFC in one way destroyed our dreams. But we are not blaming the whole AFC organization."
"That was a really big mistake" - India head coach opens up about AFC's manhandling of the situation
India started their preparations for the grand tournament on August 15, 2021. Since then the country has played 10 internal games and seven international matches across the globe. But Dennerby stressed not a single player had tested positive over that period as they were disciplined and strictly followed the protocols put in place.
The Swedish gaffer opened up about how the team did the same after they joined the AFC Women's Asian Cup bio-bubble in Navi Mumbai on January 13 this year. He admits that while traveling, the players were at their most vulnerable to contracting the virus. But no one from the team tested positive after the first two days of their arrival.
On January 16, the day the team completed their quarantine, the first Indian player tested positive for COVID-19. Dennerby suggested that their initial impression was that the player must have contacted the virus from someone inside the bubble itself. Although that sent the team into a frenzy just ahead of their pivotal opener against Iran, the players were isolated immediately and the Blue Tigresses focused on their preparation for the game, the 62-year-old said.
However, two days later, on the evening of January 18, the team was tested again and three new positive cases emerged: the physiotherapist, the strength and conditioning coach and another player.
Now, Dennerby went onto mention that the strength and conditioning coach was in close contact with the hotel staff. While the players were tested every third day, it wasn't the case with the hotel staff.
On January 17, the hotel staff were tested and the results were sent to the AFC the next day. When the AFC sent back the report to the hotel on January 19, a day later, seven hotel staff were COVID-19 positive, including the Indian team's coordinator, said Dennerby.
The coach further went on to question Asian football's governing body:
"Why didn't the AFC send the report immediately to the hotel? Why wait a whole day? Did they understand this was not good? Probably. But definitely no action was taken. AFC should've called the hotel directly and asked the staff to immediately leave the hotel and not make any contact with the players. But they did not. That was a really big mistake."
Dennerby added:
"Why weren't the hotel staff tested for COVID-19 every third day like the team? No staff were tested between January 11 and January 17."
After the game against Iran on January 20, Dennerby was more anxious about the COVID test results. The next morning, he had a session with the substitutes and in the evening pre-game testing was conducted.
When the reports came back on January 22, seven new players had tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, two other players were out with bone fractures. A total of 10 players out, only 13 left. The minimum number.
Further tests were conducted on the evening of the 22nd and two more players tested positive. India were left with just 11 players and two others with fractures. The team immediately reached out to the Asian federation and explained to them their side of the story. Dennerby said the team were completely aware of Section 4.1 of the rulebook.
But in another shocking turn of events, Dennerby said the tournament director reached out to the team at 11.59 a.m. on January 23, seven-and-a-half-hours away from the start of the game against Chinese Taipei.
In his statement, the director said it was upon Team India's discretion if they wanted to bring the injured players to the stadium and sit them on the bench or in the dressing room to complete the quota of 13 required players to play the game. Dennerby condemned the suggestion from the director to bring the players with fractures to the stadium.
After further tests arrived, the team found out at 5.30 p.m. on matchday, the time when they were supposed to board the bus for the stadium, that in total 12 players were down with COVID-19 and two players injured. Only nine players were available.
No respect and compassion for our feelings: Thomas Dennerby slams AFC tournament organizers
The girls were left devastated and according to Dennerby they had only one question till the end: "Match? No Match?".
Dennerby sternly questioned the AFC's handling of the situation.
"Why wasn't the match against Chinese Taipei canceled earlier? What was the AFC waiting for? If the AFC had already decided to send us out of the tournament, why this painful way? No respect, no compassion, no empathy for our feelings."
After Dennerby's revelations, the 62-year-old further added that no explanation for the AFC could now be good enough.
"The AFC are now trying to blame us. And honestly that is a shame. The only answer we got when we tried to have a dialogue is, 'We have followed all the protocols. Read Article 4.1 of the special rules. No AFC staff at the hotel were infected.' Honestly, later on we heard from other sources that two AFC staff were also infected. We don't know exactly but there is a chance we don't have the right information from the AFC," the head coach alleged.
"Our dreams are forever killed" - Thomas Dennerby on the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 exit
These serious allegations from the host nation and their team could blemish the Asian Football Confederation's image going forward. Asked if the coach felt a probe into the handling of the situation should be conducted, the Swede said:
"The next step is not up to me. I just wanted to open the door and tell all the facts. How the AFC or any other involved federations handle the situation is up to them. I had to be 100% honest. I do it for my team and the All India Football Federation."
How the AFC replies to the allegations and what steps are taken, if any, remains to be seen. But Dennerby reiterated in his reveal-all press conference that for the girls and the team involved in the background, the feeling is:
"Our dreams are forever killed."
