India pulls out of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup 

The Indian women's team have been forced to withdraw from the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup following the cancellation of their Group A match against Chinese Taipei.

The match between Chinese Taipei and India was scheduled to take place at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 23. India is said to have withdrawn from the tournament in accordance with Article 4.1 of the 'Special Rules Applicable to AFC Competitions during the COVID-19 pandemic’.

The rule suggests that if a participating team has less than 13 players (including one goalkeeper) available for a match for any reason, then the team will not be able to participate in the match.

The relevant participating team will also be considered to have withdrawn from the competition. The team and its affiliated member association shall be subject to the rules and regulations of withdrawal as applicable.

Considering the situation, only three teams will now be participating from Group A namely, China PR, Chinese Taipei and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

AIFF president comes out in support of the women's team

Following the inability of the women's team to field the required number of players, the president of the All India Football Federation, Mr. Praful Patel, shared his views on the incident with a tweet. He wrote:

"We are as disappointed as probably the entire nation would be right now with this unwarranted situation. However, the players' health and well-being are of paramount importance to us and it cannot be compromised under any circumstances."

Mr. Patel wished the affected players a quick recovery and has promised his support to them. He expressed his delight at the performance put up by the side in the first match against the Islamic Republic of Iran.