Sports Ministry clears India's football teams for Asiad

In a relief to All India Football Federation, the Sports Ministry today cleared the country's men and women's teams at no cost to AIFF for the upcoming Asian Games, slated to be held slated in Incheon, Korea from September 9-October 4.
The AIFF is now awaiting the 50-member group's accreditation -- which also doubles up as visa -- from the Indian Olympic Association.
"We hope to get the accreditation today and then send them through our official tonight to Shanghai, where the teams are stationed presently. We have booked new tickets for the players for September 11 after cancelling the earlier tickets for today," an AIFF official told PTI.

Both the teams had gone for exposure tours to China from where they were to leave for Incheon today as per the original schedule.
Meanwhile, the final list of players who would be boarding the flight to Incheon have also been named by both men's and women's coaches Wim Koevermans and Tarun Roy respectively.
Dempo's Alwyn George, Pune FC duo Salam Ranjan Singh and Dhanpal Ganesh and Sporting Clube De Goa's Rowlin Borges failed to make the cut for the U-23 Indian men's side.

On the other hand, Supriya Routray, Indumathi, Jyoti Ann Burrett and Rinaroy Devi won't be travelling to Incheon along with the women's squad.

Clubbed in Group A alongside hosts South Korea, Maldives and Thailand, the Indian women play their first group league match against Maldives on September 14. The other matches are against South Korea on September 17 and Thailand after a day's break.
The under-23 men, on the other hand, take on the might of last Games' silver medalists UAE in their first group league match on September 15 while their last match in the group is against Jordan on September 22.