- The Indian football team might not be able to participate in the Asian Games, which has caused a lot of anger and controversy. The team’s coach, Igor Stimac, has asked for help from Prime Minister Modi.
India football team coach Igor Stimac wrote a close to home letter to PM Narendra Modi on Monday.
Prime Minister Modi, I humbly request you to please consider my appeal. ” The letter from Sports Minister Anurag Thakur began with the words, “Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. “
Stimac asked the Prime Minister to help send the Indian football team to the Asian Games in China. The games will happen from September 23rd to October 8th.
I need to let you know that our U-17 team from 2017, which did well in the U-23 World Cup qualifiers, is not allowed to play in the Asian games. They are a really good team. This team really needs and deserves you to participate,” Stimac wrote in his letter.
India is 15 games unbeaten at home and recently won the SAFF Championship 2024 in Bengaluru earlier this month. While the men’s group is positioned 100th on the planet, the ladies’ group is 60th. In any case, the two groups won’t head out to partake in the mainland occasion.
We make sense of why the two India’s people’s groups have been denied section into Asian Games and what is the conceivable arrangement.
Why Are Asian Games Necessary for Indian Teams?
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had plans to send the team for the U23 contest. However, the Sports Ministry sent a letter that caused a problem and disrupted the plans.
The Sports Ministry sent a letter to the Indian Olympic Association and all National Sports Federations saying that only sports that have been ranked in the top eight among Asian countries in the past year should be allowed to participate in the Asian Games.
The women’s team from India is currently ranked 11th in the Asian Football Confederation, while the men’s team is ranked 18th.
India’s soccer teams did not participate in the 2018 Asian Games for the same reason.
How has AIFF reacted?
Indian football has been getting a lot of positive attention lately because Sunil Chhetri and his team won both the Intercontinental Cup in June and the SAFF Championship in July. These victories have brought a rare spotlight to the teams.
But not being allowed to participate in the Asian Games is a disappointing situation.
The government has made a decision. So, we have to follow it. However, we will ask the government to think about the decision again when it comes to football,” said Shaji Prabhakaran, the Secretary General of AIFF.
The Indian team has done really well this year. Playing in the Asian Games would be really good for football, especially for the boys who are under 23 years old.
Exploring the Possibilities: Can Indian Team Still Travel to China?
The Sports Ministry might change its decision and let Indian football teams play in the Asian Games. The letter the Ministry sent to IOA and AIFF mentions the provision for this.
The ministry letter said that if experts and the Sports Authority of India recommend it, individuals and teams can be allowed to take part in sports events even if they don’t meet the usual criteria. The Ministry will consider this and make a decision.
It has been said that AIFF has asked if football teams can play in the Asian Games. The decision might be made by the end of this week after a review.
We will tell them the reasons why it is important for the team to participate in the tournament. We will say that we have been doing good and playing in a tournament like the Asian Games will be a great experience for our players. Prabhakaran told The Indian Express that he was confident that they would give us permission to participate in the tournament.
