New Delhi: Successive victories over Chinese Super League sides completed India Under-23 team’s preparation for the Incheon Asian Games, where they want to want to improve their showing in recent times.
“We are looking forward to the Asian Games, which is an unique opportunity for us. We thank the AIFF for providing all the support to us for the preparations,” captain Sunil Chettri said from Shanghai. The Indian team beat Jaingsu Sainty 3-0, before following it up with a convincing 2-0 victory over Shanghai East Asia, currently ranked fourth in Chinese Super League Table (on 41 points from 23 outings).
The team, which comprises of three senior players as per Asian Games rules (including Chettri), have the same nucleus which had helped India put up a commendable display in the AFC U-22 Championships in Muscat in 2012. India beat Lebanon and Turkmenistan comprehensively while United Arab Emirates scored a 1-1 draw against a rampaging Indian side.
Interestingly enough, India have been drawn with UAE in Incheon, a match which many players are looking forward to.
“We are looking forward to the challenge and giving our best. The experience at the Games will help us mature better as professional Players,” Chettri said. While the Indian men have been clubbed with Jordan and UAE, the women’s team have been drawn with hosts South Korea, Thailand and Maldives in the group stages.
Both the men and the women’s teams will report directly to Incheon from Shanghai on September 9 and they among the first Indian contingents to check into the Asian Games Village.
The women’s team has also had over a month-long preparatory camp in Mumbai before moving to Shanghai to play in a series of friendly matches, an experience which their head coach Tarun Roy said “have been of immense help.”
