Tough draw for Indian football teams in Asian Games

Members of Indian men's football team during a practice session. Both the football men's and women's team are in a tough group at the Incheon Asian Games 2014.

The Indian men’s U-23 national team will be playing Jordan and UAE in Group G while the women’s senior national team have been placed in Group A with hosts South Korea, Thailand and Maldives in the upcoming Incheon Asian Games.

The draw that was released on Thursday has 29 nations in the men’s event where the teams have been divided into eight groups with five groups of four and three groups of three.

The women’s competition on the other hand has 11 teams with two groups of four and one group of three countries.

Two-time Asian Games gold medal winners India drew with UAE in the 2012 AFC U-22 Qualifiers in Muscat with a late equaliser from Dempo winger Romeo Fernandes. UAE bagged a silver medal in the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, China losing to Japan 0-1 in the final.

The women’s team will be taking part in only their second Games since 1998 where they failed to record wins against the likes of China, Chinese Taipei and South Korea in Group A.

The 17th Asian Games will start from September 19 and continue till October 4. The football will commence five days prior to the Games’ opening ceremony, from September 14.