We are hopeful that the IOA would support AIFF to overcome recent problems, says Kushal Das

The Indian Olympic Association made a very controversial decision over the weekend where it was revealed that they would not back the Indian U-23 football team who were preparing to head to this year’s Asian Games in Indonesia in August. As per the IOA regulations, only those national teams which are ranked between 1-8 at the continental level, are cleared for the Games.

However, Kushal Das. the general secretary of the AIFF, revealed that they were willing to fund the team on their own expense after being overlooked by IOA authorities. Das also spoke about a letter he wrote to IOA authorities regarding the same and explained his grievances on the topic at hand.

"I wrote a letter to the IOA explaining our disappointment and unhappiness of this decision without really consulting with us and trying to understand what is happening in football world. If expenses are an issue we are willing to pay for the team's travel and stay.

"I would like to state and put on record certain facts - firstly we have got no official communication from the IOA about the team's non-participation, it's all been verbal. I think it is strange that they did not follow the protocol or the courtesy to at least inform the federation, the basis on which the teams are not being not allowed to participate. No formal communication has ever come from them," Das said. 

The AIFF will need approval from the IOA even if it was willing to bear the expenses for the trip of the Indian squad. Das also spoke about how this year is a crucial one ahead of next year’s AFC Asian Cup which India have managed to qualify for after a period of seven years, having last played in 2011.

"We will make an official representation to the Sports Ministry, we have got a lot of support from the government and SAI (Sports Authority of India). We are hopeful that they would support us on this issue,"

"I think I also did not understand the criteria too well. They said (those) who were ranked less than eight in the previous edition, which is four years back (will not be cleared). I don't know whether they are talking about current ranking or the previous Asian Games, it was very, very unclear,"

"... I have said that you (IOA officials) have to look at football in a different manner completely, it's a sport in which India has been doing well of late. We have been trying to develop the game, we have jumped from 173 to 97 in a couple of years," the letter revealed.