India name 22-member men's football squad for Asian Games

Head Coach Igor Stimac, on Tuesday, announced a 22-member Indian men's squad for the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

On an expected line, Stimac named Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan in the squad as three senior players for the U-23 event.

India, placed in Group A, will be playing host China, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

However, the participation of the senior players will depend on whether their clubs release the players for a long duration. Their participation will mean Chhetri, Sandhu and Jhingan will have to stay outside of club duties for a long spell, forcing them to miss the initial few matches of the Indian Super League, which is likely to kick start on September 21 or 22.

The Asian Games football event starts on September 19 and ends on October 7.

As the Asiad does not fall under the FIFA international window, the clubs are not mandated to release the players. But AIFF is in touch with the clubs about the release of the players.

Along with Chhetri, Sandhu and Jhingan, East Bengal defender Lalchungnunga has been included in the squad, as Mohun Bagan midfielder Deepak Tangri has been left out since he has been recoverin from an ACL injury.

Stimac's strategic acumen and guidance will be crucial in molding the squad into a cohesive unit, instilling a winning mentality, and motivating them to perform at their best on the grand stage.

The Indian men's team is the champion of 1951 and 1962 editions of Asiad.

Squad:

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