Sunil Chhetri set to captain Indian Men’s Football team in Asian Games 2023; check out full squad

Indian Football Team (Source: Twitter)

Asian Games 2023 are set to take place in Hangzhou, China, in September-October this year. All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced 22 member squad for the continental contest. Sunil Chhetri, a striker for the Indian team, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and defender Sandesh Jhingan are the three senior players in the squad for Hangzhou Games. 

Since 2002, the Asian Games have only allowed a maximum of three players above 23 years of age in men’s football events. However, the Indian team has been placed in Group A, which consists of host China alongside Bangladesh and Myanmar. India is currently ranked 99th and will be the second-best ranked team in their group behind China (80th). Myanmar is ranked 160th and Bangladesh is 189th in the latest FIFA rankings. 

Indian Men's Football Team Set to Shine at Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games

Interestingly, the Indian men’s football team won two gold medals at the men’s football event in New Delhi (1951) and Jakarta (1962) Asian Games; they also clinched a bronze at Bangkok (1970). The Indian team, both men and women, are participating in the Asian Games 2023 as a special case; as per government rules, teams that rank eighth or better in Asia are allowed to participate in continental events like the Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. 

The sports ministry relaxed its rules on the basis of India’s current performances, which saw the national team win back-to-back international tournaments, which are the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Cup. Whereas Indian football teams did not play in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. The Hangzhou 2023 Games will be the 16th Asian Games appearance for the Indian men’s football team, and it is expected for them to shine in the tournament. 

Squad for India Men's Football team: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh, Ashish Rai, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia Ralte, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Rahul KP, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Siva Sakthi Narayanan, Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav, Vikram Partap Singh, Rohit Danu, Sunil Chhetri (C)