The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has unveiled the roster for the Indian men’s team to play at the 2023 Asian Games. This announcement follows negotiations with Indian Super League (ISL) clubs. The tournament will take place in Hangzhou, China. It will start on September 19 and will continue to October 7.
In Group A, India’s opening match will face the host nation, China. It promises to be an electrifying clash. Then, India will take on Bangladesh on September 21 and Myanmar on September 24.
Sunil Chhetri, India’s all-time leading goal scorer, will again lead the team’s charge. Yet, names like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan are missing from the squad.
The men’s competition is restricted to under-23 players, allowing no more than three players to surpass the age limit.
The AIFF had named preliminary squads for both the men’s and women’s teams for the Asian Games. However, this agreement was canceled due to a conflict with the Indian Super League. The League will kick off on September 21.
Reports circulated that ISL clubs hesitated to release their top players for the Asian Games. After some uncertainty, the AIFF and ISL reached an agreement. It permitted the participation of 17 players in the Asian Games. Each club can now release just two players.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey acknowledged the challenges and expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of the clubs and the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). He said:
“Too many things have been happening, both at the domestic and the international level, involving India’s national teams and the ISL clubs.
“There were situations which were unavoidable and demanded a balancing act. It was never easy, but I must reach out to FSDL and the clubs, thanking them for making it possible.”
Igor Stimac continues as Indian men’s team coach, with Sunil Chhetri as the captain. The squad has 16 players from the Indian Super League, along with Afzar Noorani from I-League side Mumbai Kenkre FC. He will also be on board a jet flying to China.
Here’s the lineup representing India at the 2023 Asian Games: Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Rahim Ali, Vincy Barretto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.
Here’s the lineup representing India at the 2023 Asian Games:
Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Rahim Ali, Vincy Barretto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.
