The 2022 Asian Games were originally scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China from the 10th to the 25th of September, 2022, but due to the government’s Zero-Covid Policy, the showpiece event was postponed and will now be held from the 28th of September to the 28th of October, 2023.
The forthcoming edition of the Asian Games, a continental multi-sport event described as the 2nd largest after the Olympic Games, suffers a huge setback with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deciding not to send any cricket team (Men’s/Women’s) to represent India at the Games.
The BCCI has cited prior commitments as the reason for opting against the participation of the men’s or women’s teams for the continental mega event, and that is on the back of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) approaching the BCCI repeatedly for a final word on participation at the Games.
India’s Chef de Mission for the Asian Games, Bhupender Bajwa, on the BCCI’s decision, said, “We have entries in all sports except one, cricket (team) isn’t going. 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.”
A BCCI official on follow-ups from IOA, said, “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.”
India won’t be represented in cricket in the upcoming Asian games held from September 23 to October 8.
According to BCCI, prior commitments are the reason of not entering the men’s and women’s team in the event. #CricketTwitter 📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/QPajXCvcpv
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 21, 2023
According to BCCI’s Future Tour Programme (FTP), during the Asian Games window – September-October, while the Indian women’s team is scheduled to play South Africa and New Zealand, the men’s team will be preparing for the home One-Day International (ODI) World Cup that’ll be held during October-November.
The BCCI, last year, allowed the women’s team to play in the Commonwealth Games, where they won the silver medal, and despite having fielded 2 teams at the same time in the past, the BCCI has decided not to opt for the same on this occasion.
(Quotes sourced from The Indian Express)