Xtra Time Web Desk : Currently, Indian football is striving for progress, and in this context, several diaspora Indian origin footballers abroad have expressed interest in playing for the national team. However, due to constitutional reasons in India, this isn’t feasible. To address this, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has formed a Task Force.
The AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey, established this Task Force on Monday. Its purpose is to conduct research and analysis on diaspora Indian footballers playing abroad and foreign citizens eligible to play for India.
The Task Force will be led by Samir Thapar, the President of the Punjab Football Association, and is expected to submit a report by January 31, 2024.
The establishment of this Task Force aims to enhance opportunities for these footballers to join the national team. Kalyan Chaubey mentioned, “As per the laws of our country, without Indian citizenship, diaspora Indian-origin players living abroad or foreign citizens living in India cannot play for the national team.”
“However, if we initiate discussions to find any way to include these players in the national team, it will require comprehensive information. Hence, we’ve formed this Task Force. We will first gather detailed information about these diaspora Indian footballers worldwide and then explore how we can take Indian football forward with them.”