India likely to field weakened football team in Asian games as ISL clubs refuse to release players

India's hopes for Asian Games football dim as clubs, AIFF fail to reach agreement. Senior players Chhetri, Jhingan, Sandhu likely to miss out. Sports Ministry granted special exemption for teams to participate, but inexperienced squad expected. June FIFA rankings gave hope for better things ahead.

India’s prospects for the 2023 Asian Games football competition turned bleak after the All India Football Federation and the Indian Super League clubs failed to reach an agreement regarding the release of players by the clubs for the multidisciplinary continental meet.

Sunil Chhetri, India’s highest-ever goalscorer, Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – the senior players of the squad – are set to miss the Hangzhou Games as their clubs are reluctant to forego their services for the first few games of the ISL, which is starting from September 21.

The Blue Tigers play host China, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the Asian Games on September 19, 21 and 24, respectively. The clubs are not obligated to release players for the competition as it falls outside the mandated FIFA international window.

“No clubs are mandated to release players outside the FIFA window. Some of our players have spent nearly 90 days outside the FIFA windows and now they (AIFF) are expecting a longer time, in the middle of the season,” an ISL club official told Sportstar on the condition of anonymity.

Sportstar can confirm that Ayush Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan were asked to be released by FC Goa for the Asiad. But the release of Jhingan would have been a problem for the club as he is a crucial first-team player.

Both Kolkata clubs, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, echoed the same sentiments when asked about their stance.

Amarjit Singh Kiyam, a promising youngster with Punjab FC, was the only player from the newly-promoted ISL side. But his club, too, told Sportstar that releasing him would be ‘extremely difficult.’