AIFF name Sunil Chhetri for Asian Games but silent on coach | undefined News

PANAJI: Sunil Chhetri will be the lone senior player in the Indian team and will lead a relatively inexperienced 17-member squad for the Asian Games 2023 in China later this month. Significantly, the AIFF has not announced the coach.
Igor Stimac has been registered as coach for the Asian Games, but should be choose not to take charge since several players are unavailable, assistant coach Mahesh Gawli will be the coach.
AIFF will hold talks with Stimac on Thursday.
Chhetri is the lone senior player in the 17-member squad as several ISL clubs refused to release key players. The other two seniors – Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan – won’t make the trip after their clubs refused to release them outside the FIFA international window and during the Indian Super League (ISL).
The football competition in Hangzhou kicks off on September 19 while ISL starts two days later.

Chhetri had asked coach Stimac to exclude him from the King’s Cup in Thailand but has made himself available for the Asian Games.
When the final squad was announced late on Wednesday, it came as no surprise that top clubs did not release their key players for the continental tournament. East Bengal, for example, refused to allow Mahesh Singh and goalkeeper Prabsukhan Gill join the squad. The club instead provided a list of 11 other players who could be considered, none of whom got the nod.
Akash Mishra, Vikram Partap Singh, Apuia Ralte (all Mumbai City), Suresh Singh, Roshan Singh, Siva Sakthi Narayanan (all Bengaluru), Jeakson Singh (Kerala Blasters) and Ashish Rai (Mohun Bagan) are among the other notable absentees.

While Bengaluru have cited injuries to two of their goalkeepers, Amrit Gope and Vikram Lakhbir Singh, FC Goa did not release Jhingan as the club considers the India defender an important player who cannot be replaced in the starting 11.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant adopted a similar stance while holding on to defender Anwar Ali for AFC Cup and ISL engagements.
Liston Colaco, who was listed as a replacement for the seniors, was given the initial nod to join the team but Mohun Bagan revoked permission after Ashique Kuruniyan picked up an injury in Thailand and could now miss a major part of the season.

(AI image)
Defender Chinglensana Singh and forward Manvir Singh were also considered as replacements for the senior players.
India’s group games are against China (Sept 19), Bangladesh (Sept 21) and Myanmar (Sept 24).