Football
Yan Dhanda wants to represent India; hopes OCI cards become reality soon
"Giving up my passport means I can’t play professionally in the UK and some European clubs," the Indian-origin footballer said.
Yan Dhanda during his Liverpool days. (Source: This is Anfield)
The Indian football fraternity has always been divided on the matter of permitting OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards to players plying their trade in foreign lands in order to allow them to play for the Indian national team.
On 27th March, 2023, 24-year-old Yan Dhanda, an English footballer with Indian descent, was at the centre of this very discussion pertaining to allowing foreigners in the national team.
It was former Manchester United Rio Ferdinand who tagged Indian national team coach Igor Stimac, and the All Indian Football Federation's top brass in a post which showed Yan's performance in the ongoing season in the Scottish Premiership.
Replying to Ferdinand's attempt at indicating the possibility of Yan's inclusion in the Indian national team in the near future, AIFF general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran reminded the former England International that the young player would have to give up his United Kingdom citizenship in order to play for India.
It's clearly written in Indian law that PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) and OCI card holders are not permitted to represent the nation in any international sporting events. Moreover, dual citizenship isn't a luxury provided by the Indian law-making bodies, not yet at least.
"It would be our pleasure to welcome Yan to India national team if he is willing to apply for Indian passport by moving to India. His challenge wd be to relinquish his current nationality but it will be worth as he can quickly emerge as a hero of 1.4billion," Prabhakaran replied to Rio via his Twitter handle.
Yan, who's a former Liverpool player, didn't take long to get his say out in the world. "Giving up my passport means I can’t play professionally in the UK and some European clubs, due to India’s FIFA ranking," he started in his reply to the AIFF secretary.
"Permitting OCI cards, similar to other countries, will allow me to represent the Indian football team as a dual national. I hope this can happen soon," Yan concluded.
This saga is not new to Indian football, as former national team coach in Stephen Constantine to the current one in Stimac have all been advocates of permitting players like Dhanda to don the Indian jersey.
The Ross County player might have to wait for a long time till OCI card holders playing in the national team become a reality, unless he decides to follow Triman Ranvir's path, who recently began the process of giving up his Belgium citizenship and moved to India, in hopes of getting into the Indian national team.
