'But looking at our current performance, I'm confident that a medal in the World Cup is not far off.'
Defender Sanjay will lead India in the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after several senior players were rested for the prestigious men's invitational tournament, scheduled to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, from November 23 to 30.
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
India, currently ranked 132nd in the FIFA world rankings, have never played in the World Cup finals and kick off the latest phase of their attempt to qualify for the Asian Cup on Tuesday when they take on Myanmar in Yangon.
The change at the helm comes in the wake of an underwhelming couple of years for Indian men's boxing.
Bangladesh Cricket Board maintain they were willing to play the T20 World Cup in India but were overruled by the government, forcing their exit from the tournament.
Tshering Dorji scored the only goal of the match in the 84th minute for the small Himalayan nation, ranked last of the 209 teams in FIFA's rankings, against Sri Lanka.
India aim to rebuild in inconsequential Dhaka tie vs Bangladesh
At a time when Indian football is staring at unprecedented uncertainty with its domestic season in limbo, the Asian Football Confederation on Wednesday delivered a triple blow to the country's top club
'My next aim is to go past 2700.'
Eight Indian shooters, including double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, have secured their places in the season-ending ISSF World Cup Final scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, from December 4 to 9.
Elavenil Valarivan strikes 10m air rifle gold; juniors continue dominance
It was a mere formality for the general assembly of 74 members to put a seal of approval on India's bid after Ahmedabad was recommended as the proposed host of the centenary edition by the Commonwealth Sport's Executive Board last month. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi.
Khalid Jamil's rise can't exactly be termed as meteoric but the last eight years has been nothing less than extraordinary for the 48-year-old, who on Friday took over reins of the national men's football team.
All eyes on Chhetri as India face Maldives in friendly ahead of Asian Cup qualifier.
Pakistan's participation in the tournament, to be held in Rajgir, Bihar is in serious doubt because of the tensions between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack.
For women's hockey goalkeeping stalwart Savita Punia, the Padma Shri is more than a national honour -- it is a quiet acknowledgement of years marked by sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering belief, both her own and that of a family that stood by her when the odds were firmly stacked against her.
Crisis-hit Lebanon has withdrawn from qualifying for the 2007 Asian Cup football.
India need nothing more than a win against a tricky Syria to keep alive their faint hopes of making the knockout stage.
From a side that promised much after a fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics, the Indian women's team has collapsed into a seemingly direction-less outfit.
FIFA has lifted its suspension on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) after it approved constitutional amendments.
India football head coach Manolo Marquez stepped down on Wednesday after reaching a 'mutual agreement' with the All Indian Football Federation.
India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 followed by matches against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
Flu-hit Iran qualified for the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup with a game to spare after a well-taken goal from Karim Ansari Fard gave them a 1-0 win over a dour North Korea side at the Qatar Sports Club on Saturday.
India's 2030 Commonwealth Games bid is set to be formally approved on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Sport's general assembly in Glasgow.
Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey said Pakistan have pulled out of the upcoming Hockey Asia Cup 2025 due to security reasons.
Fourteen players, including Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, are not immediately joining the preparatory camp for next month's Asian Cup qualifying round matches against Singapore as three clubs have delayed the release of their players, which will be a cause of concern for head coach Khalid Jamil.
Holders Japan enjoyed a Monday stroll in the Newcastle breeze as they swatted aside the meagre challenge of outsiders Palestine to kick off their Asian Cup title defence with a 4-0 victory.
India football coach Bob Houghton heaped praise on his charges for their "immense desire to win" in difficult conditions. India rode on an 82nd minute goal by striker Sunil Chhetri to beat Myanmar 1-0 and book a berth in the final of the of the eight-nation AFC Challenge Cup tournament, the winner of which will qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup.
Spain-based striker Park Chu-young has been left out of South Korea's 23-man squad for this month's World Cup qualifier against Qatar, the country's football association said on Monday.
The group stage Asian Cup exit turning out to be one bitter pill that he found too hard to swallow.
Pakistan, traditionally one of the biggest names in Asian hockey, will not participate, paving the way for Bangladesh to enter the competition. Oman, too, decided against participation, with Kazakhstan taking their place.
It's been well over two decades but missing an Olympic medal after coming reasonably close to it rankles Mohammed Riaz to this date even though some of his regret has eased after seeing the national team claim podium finishes in the mega-event's last two editions.
Hockey: India seek World Cup berth through Asia Cup triumph; up against China in opener
Marquez also confirmed Chhetri's involvement in the friendly match that will mark his 152nd cap for India.
India eye victory against Afghanistan in push for CAFA Nations Cup play-offs
AIFF for "flexible" approach during Sports Minister Mandaviya's meeting with football stakeholders.
Chhetri's record against the neighbours is quite impressive, scoring four goals in eight matches including a spectacular strike from a free kick in Kolkata in 2022.
Following a virtual meeting on June 16th, 2024, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a change in leadership for the Senior Men's National Team.
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