Why wasn't India bidding to host the 2019 AFC Asian Cup?

The Asian Football Confederation earlier today named the eight still bidding nations for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup to attend an organisational workshop, but India to my surprise was not amongst them.

Originally 11 countries across Asia had expressed their interest to host the competition when the bidding started but three – Lebanon, Malaysia and Myanmar – have since pulled out of the race. Remaining in the race are eight member associations – Bahrain, China, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

And I ask, why wasn’t India (the AIFF) bidding to host the 2019 AFC Asian Cup?

As everyone knows, India is bidding to host the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup, and if India is successful with its bid, then the necessary infrastructure of six stadiums, training facilities, hotels, local transport, airports and security will be created. All of this could easily have been used for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in India. On the other hand, if India does not succeed with its bid, then India would try and bid for future Under-17 FIFA World Cups and then the infrastructure built for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in India could have been used for the future Under-17 FIFA World Cup.

Also, I think the AFC Asian Cup needs to be the realistic aim for the Indian senior national team rather than dreaming of playing in the FIFA World Cup any time soon. India returned after 27 years in 2011 to play in the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, but will now miss the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. Hosting 2019 would have guaranteed their qualification.

I remember talks in 2011 in Qatar about India being a nation in which the AFC would have liked to see the 2019 AFC Asian Cup take place, but that is, unfortunately, no longer possible.