The Indian football team both men and women are set to take part in the Asian Games 2023 from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China after the Sports Ministry granted an exemption despite the teams not meeting the criteria of being ranked among the top eight teams in the continent.
The Indian team will now play in the Asian Games for the first time since 2014 after they got ruled out of the 2018 Games in Jakarta.
The Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur delivered news for the fans on Twitter, confirming the participation of both the Men’s and Women’s National football teams participate in the upcoming Asian games.
The development came weeks after it was announced that the football team will not be participating in the Asian Games 2023 as per the existing criterion of The Sports Ministry.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, has decided to relax the rules to facilitate the participation of both teams, which were not qualifying as per the existing criterion.
Keeping in mind their latest performances in the recent tournaments, the Ministry decided to grant the relaxation.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had earlier made an appeal to the Sports Ministry to allow the men’s and women’s team, ranked 18th and 11th in Asian, to participate in the Asian Games on the back of their impressive showing in recent months.
The men’s team won the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Cup in back-to-back months with some impressive performances. The women’s team won their first round of Olympic qualifiers in April by beating Kyrgyzstan in both leg matches.
I am sure they will put their best foot forward in the Asian Games and make our country proud.
-Anurag Thakur
We the Indian football fans will look forward to the National football team showcasing what they are capable of for the upcoming Asian games and making the country proud.
i’m thrilled to hear that the Indian national football teams will be participating in the upcoming Asian Games. as a football fan, i’m excited to see them compete on a global stage and make the country proud. additionally, i appreciated the way you highlighted the importance of sports in bringing people together and fostering a sense of community. keep up the good work !