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Business Standard
10 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
India seek inspiration from last 2 wins in another friendly vs Thailand
India will take inspiration from their last two wins and talismanic Sunil Chhetri's good form when they face Asian rivals Thailand in an international friendly football match here on Wednesday. For India, Thailand have been one of the most familiar continental rivals outside of South Asian countries. Both are among middle-rung Asian countries in the FIFA charts. From the Asian Games to the Asian Cup, from the King's Cup to the Nehru Cup, the history of India versus Thailand clashes in men's football is a long one. Since the first meeting at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, when India won 4-1, the two teams have played 26 times. India have won seven matches, while Thailand emerged victorious 12 times, and seven were draws. The previous two matches, however, were both won by India in 2019. A sensational 4-1 win at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi, before a narrow 1-0 victory to win bronze at the King's Cup on Thai soil. Chhetri, who scored the first two goals in the Asian Cup victory, reminisced about the performance that ended India's 55-year wait for a win at the continental showpiece. "That was a long time back. What I remember of the game was that the team was outstanding in that game. That's also a marker for us to know that on a good day, if we work hard, that's what we can achieve," said Chhetri in a press release issued by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). "That game was special because a lot of young people did really well. So, we are taking a lot of positivity and inspiration from the game. "At that time, Thailand were probably better than us on paper by a mile. We were underdogs in that game, and to win the game the way we did it wasn't just four goals but the way we held ourselves and dominated the game was really fantastic." The Indian team will need the 40-year-old talismanic striker's goal-scoring prowess and his inspirational leadership to notch a hat-trick of wins against the Thais. A win on Wednesday at the Thammasat Stadium will also a big confidence booster before the crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match against Hong Kong on June 10 in Kowloon. While India are currently placed 127th in the FIFA Rankings, Thailand are 99th. The Thais has risen 14 places since Japanese coach Masatada Ishii took charge in December 2023 and led them to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup a month later. Though they failed to make it to third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, 2024 was a fairly successful year for Thailand. They won the King's Cup and finished runners-up in the ASEAN Championship. The friendly against India serves as preparation for their AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier against Turkmenistan. Thailand have players who ply their trade abroad like mid-fielder Jaroensak Wonggorn (Cerezo Osaka in Japanese top tier), midfielder Ekanit Panya (Ehime FC in Japanese second tier) and defender Elias Dolah (Bali United in Indonesian top tier). The notable names in the Thai squad are captain and mid-fielder Chanathip Songkrasin, who is the most experienced player with 70 caps, forward Supachai Chaided, Swedish-born defender Elias Dolah, midfielder Ben Davis, who has three goals in just six caps, and towering Italy-born defender Marco Ballini.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
FC Madras' sub-junior team gets candid after bagging silver in AIFF finals
On May 26, defeat hung heavy in the air, at the Scamper Park football facility in Mahabalipuram. The scoreboard read 2-1. Eleven boys in their sweat-stained white jerseys, walked up to receive their silver medals. Some managed to fight their tears. Some left teary-eyed. Some others welled and weeped. The team's defeat however, didn't erase the record that they had already set. The lads, representing FC Madras, became the first to lead a Tamil Nadu-based football club into the finals of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) nationals in the sub-junior category. Despite the feat, the team stood low. Afterall, the boys spent eight months training for this tournament, played 230 games against 64 different teams, put up a nail-biting fight in the semi-finals — a game they won after it stretched into a penalty shootout — and reached the final. On the D-day, they saw their opposition, Minerva FC from Punjab, bag two goals early in the game. The team's striker Areez Alam's goal in the 70+5' minute, restored faith in the game, but in vain.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
AIFF announces amendments to regulations on status and transfer of players
New Delhi [India] May 31 (ANI): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced a set of amendments to its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), which will come into effect from June 1, according to a release from AIFF. The reforms focus on enhancing player welfare, supporting women's football and youth football more effectively, and improving regulatory transparency. A standout feature of the updated regulations is the increased attention to the rights and well-being of female players. The AIFF has introduced provisions addressing menstrual health, allowing female players to take leave from training during the onset of their menstrual cycle. Expanded clauses now also cover pregnancy, adoption, and family leave for both players and coaches, aiming to create a more inclusive environment for women in the sport. The amendments also introduce structural reforms in player transfers and youth development. New limitations on the number and duration of player loan deals have been set to ensure fairness. To safeguard young talent, the AIFF has revised its regulations concerning the registration of minors at academies, emphasising child protection in accordance with FIFA standards. Earlier on Thursday, AIFF announced the AIFF Academy Accreditation Rules and Regulations for the 2025-26 season. The Academy Accreditation application window is now open, and the deadline is June 10. An academy wishing to be eligible for elite academy accreditation would have to complete a minimum nine-point checklist for passing the Academy Accreditations with a one-star rating. Further excellence ratings ranging from two to five stars would be granted on the gradation system in each category. The academies that fail to meet the minimum nine-point checklist but wish to still be formally recognised through the AIFF Academy Accreditation process will have a 'Basic Accreditation' category assigned to them, which will be launched after the completion of the first round of Elite Academy Accreditation. (ANI)
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First Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Sunil Chhetri coming out of retirement 'bad news for Indian football', says ex-India midfielder
Sunil Chhetri had reversed his international retirement less than a year after bidding the Indian team an emotional goodbye to represent the Blue Tigers in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifying match against Bangladesh in March. read more Legendary Indian forward Sunil Chhetri had bid international football goodbye in June last year, only to make a U-turn less than a year later. Reuters Less than a year after he , legendary forward Sunil Chhetri found himself answering an SOS call from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and to represent the Blue Tigers in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying game against Bangladesh in Shillong in March. It wasn't a one-off appearance against Bangladesh for Chhetri though, as the 40-year-old, who continues to play for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League, has also been by coach Manolo Marquez. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Former India attacking midfielder Shanmugam Venkatesh, for one, isn't a fan of Chhetri having to come out of international retirement after a legendary career spanning 19 years, describing it as 'bad news for Indian football'. More from Football 'It's demotivating for all the young players' Venkatesh, who currently serves as assistant manager at iconic Kolkata club East Bengal, further revealed that he has asked a senior player to step aside in order to allow Chhetri to make his debut back in 2005, when he was captaining the Blue Tigers. 'Two decades ago, I told a senior player to hang up his boots so a young Sunil Chhetri could rise. But now Chhetri breaking his retirement to come back is bad news for Indian football. It's demotivating for all the young players. I'm not blaming Chhetri. He will play only one or two matches. But if you bring a youngster and back him now, he will give 10 years,' Venkatesh told The Times of India. Venkatesh added that the superstar's return essentially highlights the fact that Indian football does not have enough talent coming through to fill the void and cannot function without Chhetri, one of the country's greatest footballers of all time and certainly the standout player since the turn of the millennium alongside Baichung Bhutia. 'Indirectly, we are sending a message to everyone that we don't have enough players. We are seeing that a lot of grassroots programme have come and there are a lot of tournaments. Still, we are depending on the 40-year-old striker?' added Venkatesh, who has also served as assistant coach to the Indian football team in the past. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India face Thailand in an international friendly on 4 June, which will be followed by their second AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong on their turf on 10 June.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Chaubey meets Udhayanidhi to discuss roadmap for women's football development in TN
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey met Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday to discuss the roadmap for women's football development in the State. 'I have spoken with the Dy. CM, who is also the Sports Minister, and we discussed on to take over three districts — Erode and Dindigul are two of them. These districts have over 100 women players aged between 13 and 16. In Chennai alone, there are 20 (women) players above 19 years of age,' Chaubey told The Hindu. Tamil Nadu won the Senior Women's National Championship in 2023 and bagged silver at the Khelo India Youth Games this month. 'The AIFF wishes to provide technical support to Tamil Nadu women footballers, and also identify nearly 20 former footballers who have played for a significant number of years and give them coaching education, preferably through an elected member association, and in collaboration with the sports department of the Government of Tamil Nadu,' Chaubey said. Chaubey was here with AIFF vice-president N.A. Haris. He hoped the elections of the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TNFA) — scheduled on Saturday – would finish quickly. The TNFA has not had an election since 2018, with its last Annual General Meeting in Salem in 2014, jeopardising men's and women's leagues here. 'The AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India, conducted 87 leagues in 2023-24 and 63 leagues in 2024-25 under the name 'Asmita' across three age groups, U-15, U-17, U-30,' Chaubey said. 'However, none of these leagues took place in Tamil Nadu,' he added.
