New Delhi: The players of the Indian football team had been officially registered on the formal website of Asian Games 2018, but still were not permitted to take part in the event.
There was a lot of dispute over the selection of the Indian contingent for the Asian Games this year. Finally, a 572-member contingent was sent, leaving a number of athletes dispirited.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) didn't allow the men and women’s football teams participate in the quadrennial event. It led to heated public arguments between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and IOA.
However, it has been revealed now that the names of the participants, both males and females, had already been sent to the organisers. Their presence is all over the official Asian Games 2018 website, which could increase the intensity of the dispute between the IOA and AIFF all the more.
The IOA’s remarks like "incompetent" or "unlikely" of winning medals for the nation for the teams are completely in sharp contrast to the visuals depicted on their official website, suggesting that the decision was taken at the spur of the moment, for some unknown reason.