Asian Games 2023: In what is coming as a big setback for Indian medal hopes at Asian Games 2022, BCCI will not send any men’s and women’s Indian cricket teams in Hangzhou, China. This decision by the Apex Indian Cricketing body (BCCI) has been taken due to prior obligations and scheduling conflicts. Follow Hangzhou Asian Games LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
The only sport not represented by India at the Hangzhou Asian Games will be cricket. T20 cricket will be played at the Asian Games 2023, which take place from September 23 to October 28.
This decision by BCCI has come under the radar especially considering the Indian board’s push for the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics.
In fact, the International Olympic Committee will meet in Mumbai just a few days after the Asian Games are over to decide whether to include cricket in the Olympics.
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The men’s and women’s cricket teams are not taking part in the continental mega event, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who cited prior obligations as the cause.
“We have entries in all sports except one – cricket (team) isn’t going,” the Indian Express was informed by India’s chef de mission for the Asian Games, Bhupender Bajwa.
“They said they are preoccupied. We sent 3-4 emails to them but when we had to send entries to the organisers, they said they won’t go.”
The news was confirmed by a representative of the cricket board, who added that they had just got the email from the Indian Olympic Association “one day before the deadline.”
“We had received the mail from IOA just one day before the deadline. At the same time, the BCCI already has finalised the FTP for women’s cricket. During the Asian Games, our team won’t be available as they will be playing in a tournament,” the BCCI official said.
BCCI commitments
The FTP lists New Zealand and South Africa as opponents for India’s women in limited overs series. In contrast, the men’s squad will play in the ODI World Cup on home soil in the months of October and November.
India fielded two different cricket teams concurrently on the international scene in July 2021. Shikhar Dhawan’s side was touring Sri Lanka while the Virat Kohli-led team was encamped in England.
It was the first time that India split its cricket teams since 1998. Then, one squad participated in the Malaysian Commonwealth Games, while the other team competed against Pakistan in Canada for the Sahara Cup.
Two times, in 2010 and 2014, cricket was played at the Asian Games, however India did not send a team on each occasion because of other commitments.
In the men’s cricket competitions, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka each took home a gold medal, while Pakistan won both editions of the women’s competition.
Asian Games 2022
From September 23 to October 8, 2023, Hangzhou, China will host the Asian Games 2022. This year, 40 sports will be featured at the 15-day continental championship, which was moved from 2022 to 2023 because to COVID-19.
The light shows in Hangzhou Qianjiang New City resumed on Apr 18.
Let’s enjoy the first display after a long hiatu and feel the charming night view of Hangzhou!#Hangzhou #AsianGames #Lightshow #Qianjiang @AsianGamesOCA @QiantangVision pic.twitter.com/Kb93DuRLr7
— 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Official (@19thAGofficial) April 20, 2023
India has a long history at the quadrennial competition, and over the last two decades, Indian participation at the Asian Games has significantly increased. India sent 570 athletes to the most recent competition in Jakarta in order to compete in 36 different sports.
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