Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu included in the latest revised squad for the 2023 Asian Games

Amidst preparations for the upcoming 2023 Asian Games in China, the Indian men’s national team find themselves in a state of disarray and uncertainty.

The tournament is scheduled to start on September 19, with the Indian squad expected to depart for Hangzhou on September 16. However, the process of finalizing the team has been marked by a series of changes and contradictions, leaving supporters and stakeholders confused.

Earlier this week, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) unveiled a 17-man squad. However, according to Sportstar, the Sports Ministry released its own set of participants on Thursday, which was different from the AIFF's original announcement.

While the core of the squad remained intact, several changes were made, most notably the inclusion of Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, whose names had initially been omitted.

Additonally, Igor Stimac's status as the team's head coach was not confirmed by the AIFF, yet he appeared on the list for the 2023 Asian Games.

This chaos extends beyond the supporters, as Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have also found themselves in the dark. FC Goa officials were caught off guard by the changes, with their goalkeeper, Dheeraj Singh, initially named in the squad but replaced by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Sports Ministry's version.

The club expressed their surprise to Sportstar, stating that they had received no official communication regarding the alteration.

"This is definitely something that comes as news to us, if this is indeed the case, as Dheeraj’s name was included in the squad announced yesterday and we have received no official communication to inform us otherwise," the club was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

Adding to the complexity, the Times of India reported that Liston Colaco, who was included in the most recent squad, has not been released by his club, despite reports suggesting otherwise.

The Blue Tigers will face the host nation, China, on the opening day of the tournament. Subsequent matches include clashes with Bangladesh on September 21 and Myanmar on September 24.

India’s revised squad for the 2023 Asian Games released by the Sports Ministry

Indian men’s team revised squad:

Goalkeeper: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Gurmeet Singh, Vishal Yadav.

Defenders: Anwar Ali, Narender Gahlot, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga.

Midfielders: Ayush Dev Chhetri, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Abdul Rabeeh, Samuel James Kynshi, Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh.

Forwards: Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav, Rahul KP, Liston Colaco, Sunil Chhetri, Vincy Barretto, Vikram Pratap Singh.