Disappointed we are not there in Asian Games, says senior AIFF official

New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): M Satyanarayan, Deputy Secretary General of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has expressed disappointment over the Indian football men’s team’s absence from the 2026 Asian Games, set to take place from September 19 to October 4 in Japan.

The Indian men’s football team will not participate in the 2026 Asian Games after failing to meet the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ selection criteria, which require teams to be ranked among the top eight in Asia.

Speaking with ANI, the AIFF Deputy Secretary General expressed disappointment over India’s absence from continental games, saying several Asian nations are ahead due to better infrastructure, training, and player quality. He also said prolonged legal disputes had hindered Indian football’s progress.

“We are disappointed that we are not there at the Asian Games. In Asia, however, there are 47 countries, and at least 15 of them are ahead of us because they have better infrastructure, higher-quality training, and stronger players. Over half of the time, we have been involved in court cases and related issues. Hopefully, that will not be the case in the future because of the new Governance Act,” he said.

AIFF and the Managing Committee of the Indian Super League (ISL), represented by FC Goa, NorthEast United FC and Sporting Club Delhi, held a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The press conference was addressed by M Satyanarayan, Akshay Rohatgi, Head of Competitions, AIFF, Ravi Puskur, CEO, FC Goa, Mandar Tamhane, CEO, NorthEast United FC, and Dhruv Sood, CEO, Sporting Club Delhi.

It was announced that the clubs will hold the commercial rights for the Indian Super League going forward, while the AIFF will retain administrative control and oversight of key operational aspects, in a move towards a more globally common, club-led commercial model.

“From our side, we are very committed to making this league one of the best in Asia,” said Satyanarayan.

“We are also keeping in mind the recent Supreme Court’s order and the new National Sports Governance Act.”

Sood concurred. “In SC Delhi’s first season, the Ministry did come forward and offered their full support to the league, with regard to the availability of stadiums. The AIFF also did their best to reduce the cost of the league”.

Expanding on the new season, Tamhane said, “It will be a broadcast-driven model. We are moving towards a club-led model because both the clubs and the AIFF believe it is the right approach from the perspective of long-term commercial and financial sustainability.”

Next, the Clubs/Managing Committee will issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) to secure a broadcast partner and work on sponsorships. The AIFF will send a letter to all 14 clubs asking them to confirm their participation. The 2026-27 season will be held in a home-and-away format.

“We will have a full-fledged season where every team will play their respective home and away games in a full quota rather than having to play a truncated format. We look forward to working collectively with the AIFF to try and ensure that the league is as successful as it can be,” said Puskur.

The league calendar will be planned around the FIFA Men’s International Match Windows (scheduled for September, October, November and March) and the AFC club competition schedules to ensure the best possible preparations for the national team as well as the participating clubs (FC Goa and East Bengal FC) in continental competitions.

Touching upon the topic of release of players for the national team by the clubs, Satyanarayan said, “We have already had several rounds of discussions with the clubs and requested them to release players for a longer period for the ‘National Interest.’ The earlier we move forward with the process, the better we can plan the scheduling. We are hopeful this will happen with the cooperation from the clubs, particularly as the league is now being run jointly by the clubs and the AIFF.” (ANI)

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