New Delhi: Decks have been cleared for the Indian U-19 football team’s participation in the AFC Championship qualifiers in Iraq after the government granted special permission to the national side to play in the trouble-torn country.
When the team left for Dubai for the pre-tournament preparations, there were question marks on whether the government would grant permission to play in Arbil because of the security situation in Iraq.
“Because of the travel advisories due to the security situation in Iraq we had to seek special permission from the government. We have got the permission and the team will leave Dubai for Arbil on Tuesday,” an AIFF official said.
Arbil is in northern Iraqi province of Kurdistan and the city had hosted even international matches this year.
The tournament starts on November 5 and India have been drawn alongwith Afghanistan, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the Group C qualifiers.
The group winners and runners-up will qualify for the AFC Under-19 Championships next year. The best third finisher, one each from East and West Asia, will also make it to the finals of the prestigious tournament.
The Indian boys, who have been training in Dubai at the Emirates Sevens ground since October 25, beat UAE side Al Shaab (U-19) 4-0 in a friendly practice match on Saturday.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 01, 2009, 20:06