India squad for the Football event of the Asian Games has been announced. Senior players Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu have made it to the 22-member squad for the Games. Since 2002, Men's football event at the Asian Games has been played among Under-23 players with three players above the said age allowed in each team.
Igor Stimac will be in charge of the team for the Asian Games as well. Earlier, team India wasn't qualifying for the event but after several requests including the one from the head coach Stimac, the Indian Government tweaked rules to make it possible for the Men's and Women's team to participate. According to a PTI report, it is understood that the 22-member Indian squad has got the approval from the Asian Games organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia.
Team India is participatingin the Asian Games Football event for the first time in nine years. However, the team has won the Gold Medal in the event twice at the New Delhi 1951 and Jakarta 1962 Asian Games. In 1970, the team clinched the Bronze medal at the Bangkok Asian Games. This will be the 16th time the Indian men's football team will be taking part in the Asian Games.
The Men's team is in Group A alongside hosts China PR, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. India are ranked in 99th in the latest FIFA rankings and are only behind China (80th) in terms of rankings in their group. Meanwhile, Indian Women's football squad is set to be announced at a later date.
India Men's Football squad for Asian Games:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.
Defenders: Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh, Ashish Rai.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia Ralte, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Rahul KP, Naorem Mahesh Singh.
Forwards: Siva Sakthi Narayanan, Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav, Vikram Partap Singh, Rohit Danu, Sunil Chhetri.
Head Coach: Igor Stimac.
