Indian team for football friendly against China announced, Balwant Singh misses out

Image Courtesy: AIFF

The Indian Men’s football coach Stephen Constantine announced a 22-man squad on Tuesday for a friendly match against China. The friendly will mark India’s first ever International away fixture against China. Both the sides will face-off at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Suzhou city on October 13. 

Indian striker Balwant Singh is set to miss the match after he was dropped following an issue with his passport. ."As his passport will expire in less than six months, he was denied a Chinese visa," Constantine said. 

Coach Constantine further stated that his side was taking the ‘friendly match’ seriously. "Friendly or no-friendly, it’s the Indian national team. It’s only a friendly game for the world but not for us," he added. 

All pumped up! #IndianFootball #CHNvIND #BackTheBlue #AsianDream pic.twitter.com/sS51hiqYAp

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 9, 2018

The Indian team have never won a match against the Asian heavyweights. Out of 17 encounters against China, India have lost 12 matches and managed to draw five. The two sides last met in a Nehru Cup match in 1997 at Kochi (Kerala), where China edged past with a 2-1 win. 

India Squad: 

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Karanjit Singh.

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Sarthak Golui, Sandesh Jhingan, Anas Edathodika, Salam Ranjan Singh, Subhasish Bose, Narayan Das.

Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Pronay Halder, Rowllin Borges, Anirudh Thapa, Vinit Rai, Halicharan Narzary, Ashique Kuruniyan.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sumeet Passi, Farukh Choudhary. 

(With Agency inputs)