Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan excluded from India’s Asian Games squad list 

Senior footballers Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan have been excluded from India's squad list for the upcoming Asian Games.

The trio were part of the squad as the three overage players allowed in an otherwise under-23 tournament. However, their names were missing from the list that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) sent to the organizers.

The reason given for this omission is that when the deadline for the submission of the teams passed (July 15), these players were still unsure about their participation in the Asian Games.

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We did not know that their names were missing from the original list: AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey

AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey (Credits: ISL media)

AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have both requested the Asian Games organisers to provide accreditation as a 'special case' for these players.

Speaking to the Times of India, Chaubey said:

"When we (AIFF’s coaches, technical officials and support staff members and federation officials) had made a presentation to the sports ministry’s officials requesting for the football teams’ (men and women) clearance for the Asiad, we didn’t realise that their names (Chhetri, Sandhu and Jhingan) were not in the original list of athletes sent to the organisers.”

He added:

“When I realised this (omission), being the head of the organisation (AIFF), I took up the matter personally to ensure that their names were added so that they could get the accreditation. Their names have been sent to the organisers. The people concerned who made the presentation to the ministry should have known about this. As the federation president, I needed to interfere."

The initial Indian squad for the Asian Games has a good mixture of players who have top-flight experience and those who are just coming through the ranks. Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Akash Mishra are among some of the stars who have played consistently for the national team in the past. As is East Bengal's Naorem Mahesh Singh.

Young winger Rohit Danu, formerly of Hyderabad FC, also finds a place for himself. Siva Sakthi Narayanan and Rahim Ali are expected to lead the side's attack in case skipper Sunil Chhetri does not get cleared.

While the defence seems quite fluid, goalkeeping duties will be taken up by either Dheeraj Singh of FC Goa or Hyderabad FC's Gurmeet Singh, who had a stellar last season. The midfield looks to be in good shape too, with Suresh Singh, Aniket Jadhav, Apuia, Mahesh and Jeakson marshalling the troops in the centre of the park.

Indian men’s football team for Asian Games: Anwar Ali, Gurmeet Singh, Lalengmawia, Narender, Rahim Ali, Lalnuntluanga Bawitlung, Rohit Danu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Aniket Anil Jadhav, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Akash Mishra, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Thoiba Singh Moirangthem, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Roshan Singh Naorem, Siva Sakthi Narayanan, Asish Rai, Vikram Pratap Singh, Deepak Tangri, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam.