Standoff ends as AIFF names team for Asian Games

New Delhi, September 13

Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri was the only notable face in the 17-member Indian squad for the Hangzhou Asian Games as All India Football Federation (AIFF) finally managed to stich a second-string team but there is still a big question mark on head coach Igor Stimac accompanying the team.

Squad

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 Barreto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav

Most of the clubs had shown unwillingness to release the 22 players named in the Indian squad as the Asian Games’ football competition schedule clashes with the ISL, which starts on September 21.

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. Kalyan Chaubey, AIFF president

But after prolonged and hectic parleys, the AIFF was able to announce a team made up of nine players from the original 22, including Chhetri, while the remaining were made up of inexperienced players from the clubs.

The AIFF, which was able to stitch together the team just three days before its departure for China, still thanked the Indian Super League clubs and the FSDL “for coordinating with it for the release of players”.