Indian Football squad for Asian Games 2023: Sunil Chhetri returns, Gurpreet misses out

All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the 17-member men's squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Among the noteworthy inclusions is Sunil Chhetri, India's football icon, who has made it to the squad despite earlier speculation hinting at his absence.

In contrast, the absence of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the vice-captain and India's top-choice goalkeeper, comes as less of a surprise. Reports suggest that Bengaluru FC, his club side, is grappling with injuries in the goalkeeper department, potentially impacting his availability for the tournament.

While announcing the squad, the AIFF expressed its thanks to clubs in the Indian Super League and the FSDL for coordinating with the national body for the release of players in the Asian Games.

AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said, “It has been a hectic time for Indian football season this time. We had a tight schedule within a short period that was not easy to manage.

“There have been too many things happening, both at the domestic and the international level, involving India’s National Teams, as well as the ISL clubs. While the Senior National Men’s Team completed playing a series of matches, they are also awaiting to play the Asian Games, followed by Merdeka Cup, World Cup Qualifiers, and the AFC Asian Cup,” he said.

The AIFF President pointed out that things are busy on the domestic front too. The clubs are busy, not only in the top domestic league with an increased number of matches but a few clubs are also committed to playing in Asian competitions.

“We must remember that general elections are coming, and to avoid the adverse weather conditions in certain parts of the country, we had to adjust the schedule, and shorten the domestic calendar to an extent so that these things don’t hamper the quality of the games and put unnecessary pressure on the players.

“There were situations which were unavoidable and demanded a great balancing act. It was never easy, but at the same time, I must reach out to FSDL and the clubs, thanking them for making it possible. The Indian National Team is going to the Asian Games after a nine-year gap, and it has become possible because of the active support the Indian Football received from the Government of India, especially the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” said the AIFF President. He once again thanked the Government of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for their support of Indian football and utmost cooperation.

Chaubey expressed confidence that the Indian team will perform creditably in the Asian Games and will take Indian Football forward.

Men's Football Squad for the Asian Games

Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Rahim Ali, Vincy Bareto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.