UPDATE
The All India Football Federation, on Friday, September 15, 2023, announced that senior India player and key defender Sandesh Jhingan will be joining the Indian squad for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
While Jhingan will be there, the AIFF has added two more players Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga to the squad for the Games.
The AIFF will conduct a medical test of Naorem Mahesh Singh before taking a decision to include him in the squad.
Speaking on the development, AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said, “It is indeed a positive development on the eve of the Asian Games as the reliable pair of Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan will be manning two key positions in the Indian attack and defence, respectively, for the continental games. We are further happy that some more experienced footballers are there in the squad to strengthen our campaign.”
Mr Chaubey said that he’s extremely thankful to FSDL for standing up to the need of the hour and help the cause of the national team by agreeing to reschedule some matches of the Indian Super League, which is supposed to start from September 21. He also thanked all stakeholders of the AIFF for the cooperation in solving the impasse that was created over the release of players and overlapping of dates.
India head coach Igor Stimac said, “It’s a wonderful development that some experienced players have been added to the Asian Games squad, who will certainly help the cause of the team. I’m thankful to FSDL and AIFF for making it happen. Whoever represents India, together we will be honoured to defend the flag.”
Indian men’s squad for the 19th Asian Games:
Goalkeepers: Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Vishal Yadav.
Defenders: Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Deepak Tangri, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh, Lalchungnunga.
Midfielders: Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James Lyngdoh, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Vincy Barretto.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.
Head coach: Igor Stimac.
The All India Football Federation, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, named a 18-member men’s squad for the Asian Games, in Hangzhou, China, which is set to begin on September 19.
While announcing the squad, the AIFF expressed its thanks to clubs in the Indian Super League and the FSDL for coordinating with the national body for the release of players in the Asian Games.
AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said, “It has been a hectic time for Indian football season this time. We have a tight schedule within a short period of time that was not easy to manage.
“There have been too many things happening, both at the domestic and the international level, involving India’s National Teams, as well as the ISL clubs. While the Senior National Men’s Team successfully completed playing a series of matches, they are also awaiting to play the Asian Games, followed by Merdeka Cup, World Cup Qualifiers, and the AFC Asian Cup,” he said.
The AIFF President pointed out that things are busy on the domestic front too. The clubs are busy, not only in the top domestic league with an increased number of matches but a few clubs are also committed to playing in Asian competitions.
“We must remember that there are general elections coming, and to avoid the adverse weather conditions in certain parts of the country, we had to adjust the schedule, and shorten the domestic calendar to an extent so that these things don’t hamper the quality of the games and put unnecessary pressure on the players.
“There were situations which were unavoidable and demanded a great balancing act. It was never easy, but at the same time, I must reach out to FSDL and the clubs, thanking them for making it possible. The Indian National Team are going to the Asian Games after a nine-year gap, and it has become possible because of the active support the Indian Football received from the Government of India, especially the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” said the AIFF President. He once again thanked the Government of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for their support to Indian football and utmost cooperation.
Mr Chaubey expressed confidence that the Indian team will perform creditably in the Asian Games and will take Indian Football forward.
The Squad: Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Deepak Tangri, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Rahim Ali, Vincy Bareto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.
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