The AFC ExCo sets election date for May 2/3

The Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee met on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur under the chairmanship of AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong and decided to hold an Extraordinary Congress and an Ordinary Congress here in the capital of Malaysia on May 2/3, 2013, respectively.

The main business of the AFC Extraordinary Congress on May 2 would be to: a) elect the AFC President; b) one female AFC Vice-President; c) two female members to the AFC Executive Committee, and; d) one position on the FIFA Executive Committee. The Ordinary Congress on May 3 will fulfill the statutory business, including the report of the general secretary, amendments to the Statutes, etc.

The term for the position of the AFC President, one female AFC Vice-President and two female AFC Executive Committee members will be from 2013 until 2015, while the position on the FIFA Executive Committee will have a four-year term until 2017.

The nominations for all the positions opened on January 31, 2013 (90 days before the day of the Extraordinary Congress) and will close on March 3, 2013 (60 days before the Extraordinary Congress). The final list of candidates will be released on April 2, 2013, 30 days before the day of the Extraordinary Congress.

At the outset, Jilong thanked the members for their guidance and support for successfully conducting the activities last year.

"We will have to work towards making the Year 2013 memorable for Asian football. Our teams and administrators made us proud in 2012 and I am confident that we will better that mark this year," Jilong said.

"We have many events lined up in 2013 and we, as guardians of AFC and Asian football, must make sure that the continent scales newer heights each year."

The AFC Executive Committee also decided to nominate AFC Vice-President and Chairman of the AFC Women's Committee, Ms Moya Dodd (Australia) as AFC's candidate for the position of women's football representative in the FIFA Executive Committee. The election for this position will be held during the FIFA Congress in Mauritius in May this year.

India's squad for the AFC Challenge Cup

The India preparatory squad for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers has been cut from 44 to 23 players with the camp to be held in Kuala Lumpur from March 15. In the Malaysian capital India will face Chinese Taipei (March 21), Pakistan (March 23) and Turkmenistan (March 25) in the Group B qualifiers for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

Senior players are being rested by Bob Houghton, who will see if the younger players can take over from their more experienced players. This will be the first assignment for Bob Houghton after the federation has tried to get rid of him with a new manager in place in Mandhar Tamhane from Pune.

For India the qualifiers are crucial as they would have to be amongst the top two teams to qualify for the final round, which India could host next year and then try to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup to be played in Australia.


INDIA

Goalkeepers
Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers SC), Subroto Pal (Pune FC), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Indian Arrows)

Defenders
Anwar (Mohun Bagan AC), Nirmal Chetri (East Bengal Club), Denzil Franco (Churchill Brothers SC), Raju Gaekwad (Indian Arrows), N.S. Manju (United Sikkim FC), Nalappan Mohanraj (Mohun Bagan AC), Syed Rahim Nabi (East Bengal Club), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), Govin Moirangthem Singh (Salgaocar SC)

Midfielders
Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC), Shilton D'Silva (Indian Arrows), Steven Benedic Dias (Churchill Brothers SC), Rakesh Masih (Mohun Bagan AC), Jewel Sheikh Raja (Indian Arrows), Baldeep Singh (Salgaocar SC), Jagpreet Singh (JCT)

Forwards
Sunil Chhetri (Chirag United SC), Jeje Lalpekhulua (Indian Arrows), C.S. Sabeeth (Viva Kerala), Sushil Kumar Singh (East Bengal Club)

Officials
Chief Coach: Robert Douglas Houghton; Assistant Coach: Savio Medeira; Goalkeeping Coach: Marcos Anthony Pacheco; Manager: Mandhar Tamhane