Igor Stimac names 22-member squad for the Asian Games 2023

The India Men's team will start their Asian Games 2023 alongside hosts China PR, Bangladesh, and Myanmar in Group A. There are 23 teams, divided into six groups. Group A, B, C, E, and F have four teams each while Group D has three teams. Two times Asian Games champions India are participating in the football event for the first time after nine years. The competition is all set to start on September 19 and will conclude on October 7.

The Indian Men's football team, with a rich legacy behind them, will be determined to make their mark once again at the Asian Games 2023. India have improved a lot under Igor Stimac. They won the SAFF Championship and the Intercontinental Cup recently. The players are more confident than ever before facing some of the best sides of Asia in the 19th Asian Games.

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The participation of the Indian men's and women's football sides in the Hangzhou Games was earlier in doubt as per the sports ministry's criteria of sending teams that are ranked in the top-8 in the continent.

The ministry later cleared both teams by relaxing the criteria after an appeal from the AIFF. Head coach Stimac also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approval.

The Asian Games football competition is an Under-23 affair but due to the one-year delay in hosting this edition of the event, the organizers have allowed those who are 24 years old to participate, with the cut-off date of birth being fixed at January 1, 1999.

Indian Squad for the Asian Games 2023:

• 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.