Indian Football Team
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided not to send a team to the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023; hence, there won’t likely be any Indian football teams competing there. Failure to rank in the Top 8 in Asia as required by the Sports Ministry is the cause.
Why the Indian football team is not a part of the Asian Games
The All India Football Federation will contest the ruling, and Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian men’s football squad, has also requested the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Sports Anurag Thakur.
The Indian men’s squad had a fantastic few months, winning the InterContinental Cup and the SAFF Championships at home, and is presently rated 18th in Asia and 100th in the FIFA World Rankings.
The decision on whether India will compete at the 2023 Asian Games must be made quickly because there are just 10 days until the draw is made on July 27.
What precisely is the problem?
In a previous communication to member federations, the Sports Ministry stated that “for team events, only those sports that have achieved a ranking up to eighth among participating countries in Asia in the last year should be considered for participation in the Asian Games.”
The AIFF was refused the opportunity to send a team to the 2018 Asian Games despite being ranked 14th in Asia at the time. This is a continuation of their policy from that event.
The Asian Games, a U-23 competition since 2002, typically feature teams from the top 20 nations, with India the lone exception in 2018 and presumably again in 2023.
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There is an exception to the top-8 rule, though, as the Sports Ministry has a clause that allows for it: “Where, in the opinion of the experts of specific sports disciplines and that of the Sports Authority of India, participation of individuals and teams in relaxation of the above criteria (top 8) is recommended with justifiable reasons, the same will be considered in the Ministry for appropriate decision.”
