Football
AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022: India forfeit match against Chinese Taipei
Positive cases within the India team meant that they did not have enough players for the match. India now have 1 point from 2 matches.
The Indian team at the AFC Asian Cup (AIFF)
India's match with Chinese Taipei in Navi Mumbai was cancelled on Sunday due to a number of Covid-19 cases within the Indian team. The Indian team has forfeited their match and now has 1 point from 2 matches.
Thirteen players in the team were Covid-19 positive in the Indian Women's National Team and so they were forced to give a walkover. The Chinese Taipei players arrived for their match and did their pre-game routines. The Indian team did not show up.
AFC in a press release released shortly after the scheduled start time of the match, said it 'could not be played today'.
"Following several positive cases of COVID-19, India failed to name the required minimum of 13 players for the Group A match against Chinese Taipei. In accordance with Article 4.1 of the 'Special Rules Applicable to AFC Competitions during the COVID-19 pandemic' (Special Rules), India was therefore unable to participate in the match and the full provisions of Article 4.1 will apply," it said.
Article 4
4.1. The principal obligations and responsibilities of each Participating Member Association are stipulated in the Participating Team Agreement ("PTA"), these Regulations, the Manual, the AFC Statutes, and all other AFC regulations, directives, guidelines and circulars.
4.1.1. Each Member Association that has entered the Competition must submit a PTA.
4.1.2. The PTA and such other documents as are requested by the AFC in relation to the PTA shall be completed and submitted to the AFC not later than the deadline provided by the AFC.
4.1.3. Failure to submit the PTA to the AFC by the deadline shall result in the non-
"Further, the inability of India to participate in the match also triggers Article 6 of the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022â„¢ regulations. The AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022â„¢ will continue to be played as scheduled with the Group winners, runners-up and the two best third-placed teams qualifying to the Quarter-finals," the AFC release added.
Article 6
6.1. All Participating Member Associations undertake that their Participating Teams shall play all of their Matches in the Qualifiers and, if relevant, all of their Matches in the Finals until elimination.
6.2. In the case of a Participating Member Association withdrawing or being excluded from the Competition, the AFC Women's Football Committee shall be responsible for making any decisions, including without limitation whether to:
6.2.1. replace the Participating Member Association;
6.2.2. change the competition system (cf. Article 7); and/or
6.2.3. change the technical rules (cf. Section 4).
China now lead the group with 6 points, Chinese Taipei are second with 3 points and Iran and India have 1 point each. India play China in their last group match.
