Football
Football Asian Games schedule: India vs China showdown to be curtain-raiser
It could not be a bigger occasion as the Indian football team returns to the Asian Games after 9 years. A match against hosts and traditional powerhouses China on September 19 awaits.
FILE PHOTO: Sunil Chhetri in action during the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru. (Photo Credit: AIFF)
The Indian football team will return to the Asian Games stage in Hangzhou, China after nine years with the biggest match possible. In their opening match of the campaign on September 19, India will face hosts and traditional powerhouses China.
This will be followed by relatively easier matches against Bangladesh and Myanmar. There are six groups in the men’s competition. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.
The men's football team, ranked 18th in Asia, are being sent to the Asian Games on the basis of a relaxation of the sports ministry's norms of the delegates being sent having medal winning probabilities. Teams were not supposed to be sent if they were ranked outside the top 8 in Asia, but following a special request, the rule has been relaxed for football.
Indian men’s football team schedule for Asian Games
September 19: China vs India - (17:00 IST, Hangzhou)
September 21: India vs Bangladesh (13:30 IST, Xiaoshan)
September 24: Myanmar vs India (17:00 IST, Xiaoshan)
September 27 or 28: Men’s Round of 16
October 1: Men’s Quarter-final
October 4: Men’s Semi-final
October 7: Men’s Gold/Bronze medal match
Indian men’s team 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.
Meanwhile, the women’s team will start its Asian Games campaign against Chinese Taipei on September 21. The top team from each group and the three best second-placed teams will progress to the quarterfinals.
The women's squad list for the Asian Games has not been released yet. The women's team will face Chinese Taipei (September 21) and Thailand (September 24) in the group stages, before moving to the possible quarterfinal on September 30.
