The government and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have been reluctant to send the team this year as their performances in the past have not been up to the mark
Stephen Constantine
With the Asian Games (August 18 to September 2) to be held in Indonesia this year, the Indian football team's head coach Stephen Constantine made an ardent plea to the government to field the national side for the quadrennial event.
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The government and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have been reluctant to send the team this year as their performances in the past have not been up to the mark.
In the 2014 edition in Incheon, South Korea, India incurred 0-5 and 0-2 defeats to UAE and Jordan in the group stages respectively. In 2010 Guangzhou, China, India lost to Kuwait (0-2) and Qatar (1-2), but thrashed Singapore (4-1). However, in the Round-of-16, Japan hammered India 5-0.
Recently, the IOA had set a qualification criteria which mentioned that only the top-eight performers in team events and the top-six performers in individual events in the last four years' continental competitions would be part of India's contingent for the Asian Games this year.
Failing to meet criteria
India, currently ranked 14 in Asia, does not fall under the qualification category. According to sources, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has sent a letter to the IOA requesting them to send the national team for the continental competition.
"If the government is listening, send us to the Asian Games. We have 11 U-23 players and that is a U-23 tournament," Constantine said after India's 3-0 win over Kenya in an Intercontinental Cup tie at the Mumbai Football Arena (MFA) on Monday. Meanwhile, Sunil Chhetri's emotional plea of inviting fans to watch the Indian football team play at the stadium two days before his historic 100th international cap touched the hearts of many fans.
The skipper's words had such an impact that MFA registered a full house. Coach Constantine was delighted with the response, but reckoned that players should not plead to fill up the stands.
'Players should not beg'
"I don't feel we should be begging people to watch their national team. The crowd today was terrific and this is what we expect. The [earlier] turn outs were sad to see considering the things we achieved in three and a half years. Today, the crowd more than made up for that," he said on Monday.
Also Read: Sunil Chhetri To Indian Football Fans: Criticise Us, But Do Watch Us Play
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