After much anticipation, the Indian men’s and women’s football teams have received approval from the government to compete in the upcoming Asian Games scheduled to begin on September 23 in Hangzhou, China.
Anurag Thakur, the union minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, announced the decision through a tweet, stating, “The government has decided to relax the rules to facilitate the participation of both the teams, which were not qualifying as per the existing criterion.”
The relaxation in the criteria was granted in consideration of their recent performances. Minister Thakur expressed his confidence in the teams, saying, “I am sure they will put their best foot forward in the Asian Games and make our country proud.”
The reluctance of the government to send the national football teams to the continental event had prompted the head coach of the men’s team, Igor Stimac, to make a heartfelt appeal on social media. Stimac reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Thakur, stressing the team’s hard work and achievements over the past four years, and emphasizing the need for support from all stakeholders.
In the 2018 Jakarta Games, the national football teams were denied permission to participate. The ministry had cited the men’s team’s ranking of 18th in Asia as the reason, expressing the government’s preference to send only teams ranking in the top eight.
Now, with the government’s approval, the Indian football teams can finally compete on the Asian Games stage, aiming to showcase their talent and bring glory to the nation.
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