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The Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac talked up the importance of allowing the players of Indian origin to represent the national team in the wake of two tough losses at the AFC Asian Cup 2023. The 56-year-old stated that nearly every country in the world is allowing players of their origin to play for the national team.
According to the existing Indian laws, the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) have been restricted from representing the country internationally since 2008. The Constitution of India and the Citizenship Act of 1955 don’t permit dual citizenship in the country, and that’s why the OCI and PIO cardholders have to surrender their passports and reside in the country for at least 12 months to apply for an Indian passport.
The report from Sportstar quoted Igor Stimac as saying about bringing the Indian origin players to the football setup, “I’m not sure if there is any other country which is not allowing players of their origin to represent their country. It is a huge handicap because there are many good players of Indian origin playing in the top leagues of Europe. So it could be a huge help if we speak about bigger achievements.”
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey had formed a task force in August of 2023 to list the probable players of Indian origin with an aim to have them represent the national team. He was quoted as saying, “We will first form a comprehensive database on the OCI and PIO footballers around the world, and then look for the best possible ways to use such players to take Indian football forward.”
The task force headed by Punjab Football Association President Samir Thapar is expected to submit a report on the matter at the end of this January.
Moreover, some of the players that could represent India if OCIs and PIOs are allowed to play for the national team are Yan Dhanda from Ross County in Scotland, Joshua Pynadath from Jong AZ in Netherlands, and Dilan Markanday from Blackburn Rovers in England.
