India to take part in SAFF Championship in May

India will play the 12th edition of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championships May 1-12 next year, it was decided in the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) executive committee held here on Thursday.

"The committee agreed to the proposal of the SAFF Committee to play the tournament in Bangladesh from May 1-12," a statement from AIFF read.

India, the defending champions and the most successful team of the biennial tournament, had put in a request about their unavailability during December when the tournament was supposed to take place originally.

The AIFF had cited Indian Super League (ISL) as the reason for their delay in participation since the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be held from October 6-28 this year.

The meet is played among South Asian nations Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

It was originally scheduled to take place in Bangladesh this year from December 25.

Meanwhile, former India player Abhishek Yadav was appointed as one of the members of the executive committee while Anjali Shah was nominated as the second woman member of the committee.

--IANS

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