Asian Games: Indian Men’s Football Team Grouped with Bangladesh, China; Women’s with Taipei, Thailand

After historically been provided with relaxation to compete in the Asian Games by the Sports Ministry of India, now the men’s Indian football team has been inserted in the same Group A as China, Bangladesh and Mynmar for the Hangzhou tournament.

Indian men’s football team grouped with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar

While the men are clubbed in a comparatively easy Group A, on the contrary, the Women’s Indian football team have been clubbed alongside nations like Thailand, and Chinese Taipei in their Group B, with the draw for grouping being done on Thursday in Hangzhou.

The decision to provide both the men’s and women’s football team with a relaxation from the existing rules which stated that only the top-8 continental teams could participate in the Asian Games had only been made official yesterday by the Indian Sports Ministry after public appeal.

The Asian Games will consist of a total of six groups in the men’s football competition, from which only top two teams of each group and four of the best third-placed teams are going to advance to the knockout stages or the round of 16.

In case of the women’s team, only the top teams from each group along with the three best second-ranked nations will be moving on the quarterfinals of the competition.

Indian women’s football team grouped with Thailand, Chinese Taipei

India has had a glorious past as far as football in Asian Games are concerned, winning the gold medal in the first ever edition of the tournament back in 1951 and then continuing the same success in 1962.

This year the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had to make a special appeal to the Sports Ministry to make provision for allowing our two teams a fair chance to compete in the prestigious event and represent our nation, especially after the SAFF Championship victory recently.

Indian men’s national team coach, Igor Stimac had previously also made a special request to the Prime Minister Narender Modi for his intervention in the matter.

Ever since 2002, the Asian Games have made the football tournament as an Under-23 competition while allowing only three players who are above the age to be allowed to play.

Veteran star player and captain Sunil Chhetri, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, the star defender are all set to be a part of the team as the three over-age players.