Covid-hit India women's football team forced out of Asian Cup

PANAJI: India were unable to field a team against Chinese Taipei due to a sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 positive cases and are now considered to have withdrawn from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 at home.
India prepared for more than two years for the Asian Cup with preparatory tours in Europe, Asia and South America. The hosts did well against Iran in the opener last week and, despite dominating, had to settle for a draw.
They were drawn to play Chinese Taipei at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, but with 12 positive cases and two injuries, India could not gather 13 players – from a registered squad of 23 -- for the match.
“Following several positive cases of Covid-19, India failed to name the required minimum of 13 players for the Group A match against Chinese Taipei,” the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a statement late on Sunday. “In accordance with Article 4.1 of the ‘Special Rules Applicable to AFC Competitions during the Covid-19 pandemic’, India was therefore unable to participate in the match and the full provisions of Article 4.1 will apply.”
According to Article 4.1, a team which is unable to field 13 players is “held responsible for the match not taking place and shall be considered to have withdrawn from the relevant competition.”

India missed two players and two members of the coaching staff for the opener against Iran on January 20. Seven players tested positive a day later inside the bio-secure bubble and three others were also infected on the day of the all-important clash.
With two others – Indumathi Kathiresan and Panthoi Chanu – nursing injuries, the hosts did not have enough players for the secondround clash.
India then tried to force a postponement but rules state that it can be granted only in “exceptional circumstances” which Covid-19 positive cases wasn’t. The hosts cannot appeal either as competitions committee decisions are final and binding.

The withdrawal is a huge blow for India as the team was looking to make it to the quarterfinals from among 12 participants and then even become the first to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Unfortunately, this happened despite the best measures put in place, and it is sheer bad luck that it happened to us. Let there be no fingers pointed at any. We need to understand this is a pandemic situation, and no bubble is fool proof around the world,” said All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel.
Several teams like Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have also had Covid-19 positive cases but no team has reported as many as India
inside the bubble.

“This could have happened to any team, unfortunately it happened to India,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told TOI. “The girls were excellent in the opener (against Iran) and are now understandably devastated. We need to support them. They worked so hard and did whatever was asked of them. The AIFF, too, supported wholeheartedly, but Covid ruined everything.”
Das said the need of the hour was to keep supporting the girls, rather than adopt a negative approach.
“Whatever happened is unfortunate, but I am sure this is only the beginning of far greater days for women’s football. From five years ago till now, we can see massive improvement in their game. We will keep supporting,” said Das.
The Women’s Asian Cup will continue as scheduled with the group winners, runners-up and the two best third-placed teams qualifying for the quarterfinals.