The project is part of FIFA's mission to develop the game in various parts of the world.
India's soccer federation elections do not violate any regulations and there is no risk of any sanctions being imposed either by FIFA or the government, a leading official with the authority told Reuters on Thursday.
India is placed in Group III along with Japan, Oman and Singapore, whom they play in the opener on February 18.
Former England and Tottenham Hotspur defender Ledley King on Tuesday said though Indian football has progressed extensively in the last few years, the country needed to spread the sport more effectively at the grassroots.
Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the Asian Games.
India's preparations for a formal bid to stage the prestigious 2017 Under 17 Football World Cup is in the final stages with only the security clearance left from the hosting states, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said on Saturday.
Chhetri also added that India will rely more on teamwork than individual flair to give a tough fight to their rivals.
Hosts India clinched the SAFF Championships title for the ninth time after beating Kuwait 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout.
Sandesh Jhingan, upon his arrival at the airport in Doha, said, 'No group in the Asian Cup is easy. Of course, we've got Australia, and they need no introduction. But what we have learned in the last few years is that we must never fear any opposition.'
The Indian men's team currently occupies the 18th spot among countries under the Asian Football Confederation, while the women's side is ranked 11th.
Stimac is also grappling with injuries to few of his key players. Defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder early last month, was named among the 50 probables but he is uncertain to be in the final 26.
Bhat is the youngest among the probables shortlisted by the AIFF for the India under-23 squad.
While there is no imminent threat to the AFC Asian Cup participation by the senior men's team in late 2023 or early 2024, some of the games slated for clubs and age-group national teams in the next few months could well be a tricky terrain.
India coach Igor Stimac wants his players to stay compact and not concede set pieces to Australia
Asian Cup rivals Australia, Uzbekistan notches above us but can test against them: Chhetri
Asian Games gold medallist and Olympian Tulsidas Balaram, part of Indian football's 'holy trinity' in the 1950s and 60s, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday after a prolonged illness, sources close to his family said.
In its bid to restructure the country's football, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has formed a task force and one of the decisions taken is to hold the popular Indian Super League (ISL) over a longer period, according to its General Secretary Kushal Das.
Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a hattrick as India handed Pakistan a 4-0 loss in their SAFF Championship match in Bengaluru.
'My wife and I are overjoyed to announce that we are expecting a baby. This is the way she wanted to announce.'
Habib, who was suffering from dementia and Parkinson's syndrome for the past couple of years, breathed his last in Hyderabad, his birthplace.
Chhetri rested as Stimac names 23-member squad for King's Cup
India finished at the bottom of Group G, having earlier lost to China 1-2.
India concede late goal to lose 1-2 to China in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers
Indian football being hit with a FIFA ban looked a real possibility on Tuesday after the commercial partners of the sport's governing body in the country approached the Supreme Court over contentious clauses in the draft constitution.
Expressing serious concern at the unsavoury incident that happened after the Indian Super League final in Goa on Sunday, All India Football Federation president Praful Patel said on Monday he was awaiting the match commissioner's report before cracking the whip on the wrongdoers.
The visiting side scored through Moustafa Tarek Mashal (4th minute), Almeoz Ali (47th) and Yusuf Adurisag (86th).
The CoA reacted after FIFA threatened to suspend the AIFF and strip off its right to host the women's U-17 World Cup in October due to a third party "influence", a development which came just days after the Supreme Court's directive to hold elections of the national federation.
Indian football team loses 0-2 to Australia in Asian Cup
The Indian women Under-17 team's assistant coach Alex Ambrose has been sacked for alleged sexual misconduct, S Y Quraishi, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) overseeing the All India Football Federation, said on Sunday.
'The ban and the timing of lifting it is unfair to Gokulam Kerala because we had been preparing for the tournament for about two months.'
India assistant coach Gawli slams refereeing
Gokulam Kerala FC players, who were to participate in the AFC Women's club championships, are stranded at Tashkent following AIFF's suspension by FIFA on Monday.
Assistant coach Mahesh Gawli will have to take his place.
India sweep past 10-man Nepal to win SAFF U-17 title
A formidable Saudi Arabia didn't bring their 'A' game to the fore, but were strong enough to ward off a gutsy challenge from India winning their pre-quarterfinal match 2-0 in the men's football competition in Hangzhou on Thursday.
The decks have been cleared for Pakistan football team for its participation in the SAFF Football Championship after receiving visas travel to India on Monday.
India squander chances to lose 0-1 to Lebanon
Pakistan football team's arrival in Bengaluru for the SAFF Football Championship has been delayed due to a visa issue.
Indian football team captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was critical of the second penalty awarded to Iraq after his side's heartbreaking 4-5 defeat in shootout in the King's Cup semifinal in Chiang Main, Thailand.
India coach Stimac hits out at AIFF.
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