India’s lack of growth in football and tennis has often led to a debate on whether it was a good idea to ban Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders from representing the country in 2008. Only Indian passport-holders are allowed to compete for the nation.
Last week, it was reported that the sports ministry is mulling over a revocation of the ban to ensure that the country’s sporting ecosystem is strengthened. The discussion is, however, at a very early stage and would involve a thorough “exchange of ideas” between the stakeholders.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been particularly keen on allowing OCIs and its president, Kalyan Chaubey is hopeful that sooner or later OCI cardholders will play for the India national team.
“We have been having a series of meetings with the sports ministry for the past one and a half years. I am hopeful that we will have OCI players in the national team soon,” Chaubey told The Telegraph during an interview on Wednesday.
Players like Danny Batth (EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers), Yan Dhanda (Hearts of Midlothian, Scottish League) and Omid Singh (Havadar, Iranian first division) have in the past expressed their desire to play for India.
Chaubey, a former goalkeeper and a BJP state leader, has used his influence in the government to set the ball rolling. That itself is creditable. “It will take some time because the process is lengthy,” Chaubey said.
If the OCI cardholders are given the green light, the home ministry and the ministry of external affairs will do a background check on the player concerned.
“That takes a minimum of 76 days, and there is no maximum limit. That’s the protocol. But the good news is, the government is keen on allowing people of Indian origin to play for the national team,” Chaubey added.
The revamped portal of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), with an up-to-date user interface to make registration of Indian-origin people seamless, was launched by union home minister Amit Shah on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed it as a “major step forward in boosting citizen-friendly digital governance.”
Many national football teams have players who are not born in that country. For example, Bangladesh included former Leicester City player Hamza Choudhary and the midfielder shone during the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against India in Shillong in March. Asian teams like Qatar and Indonesia also allow ‘foreign’ players.
Before 2008, tennis players like Shikha Uberoi and Prakash Amritraj represented India in international tournaments. Sources said Bengaluru FC’s 31-year-old Australian winger Ryan Williams is keen on obtaining Indian citizenship. It’s in the process and if that happens, it will be a boost.
Chaubey took over as the AIFF president in September 2022, but his reign has been riddled with controversies. From national coach Igor Stimac’s contract being terminated — which forced the AIFF to shell out a hefty severance package — to legal cases, it’s been quite a ride for the 48-year-old sports administrator who also doubles up as an Indian Olympic Association joint secretary.
“Most of the allegations against me have been proved wrong. We still have an elitist mindset. People are jealous that a person from the grassroots has come this far. If the AIFF president was a high-profile minister or a top industrialist I do not think people would have dared to badmouth him.
“They do not realise that by painting a negative picture about me, they are harming Indian football in the process. Spreading lies just for the sake of it does not enhance the brand of Indian football,” Chaubey stressed.
Indian football got a lot of traction in the summer of 2023 after they won three trophies in four months. Lallianzuala Chhangte, who played a key role in those triumphs, was given a standing ovation by fellow passengers when he boarded a flight from Bengaluru to Aizawl just after the Saff Championship title win against Kuwait in July 2023.
They also recorded a rare away win against Kuwait in November that year, which was drowned in the sorrow of India’s ICC World Cup final loss to Australia. Since November 2023, it has been downhill for India. A poor show in the AFC Asian Cup was followed by the team’s failure to qualify for the third round of the 2026 Fifa World Cup Qualifiers.
India’s Fifa rankings have plummeted to 127. In fact, with a little bit of luck, Bangladesh could have beaten India in March. The team is now preparing for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong on June 10. They play a friendly against Thailand at Pathum Thani in Thailand on June 4.
The talent pool is so dry that 40-year-old Sunil Chhetri had to come back from retirement and play against Bangladesh. “We did not prepare well for the Bangladesh match. Maybe complacency was one of the reasons for an unimpressive show in Shillong. But against Hong Kong we will put up a good show,” Chaubey sounded confident.
It’s easier said than done. Hong Kong are coached by Ashley Westwood, the former Bengaluru FC manager who knows Indian football like the back of his hand. Under his guidance, Afghanistan defeated Igor Stimac’s India 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup Qualifier in Guwahati in March 2024. That more or less sealed India’s fate in the Qualifiers.
This paper had reported earlier this month that Manolo may resign as the national team coach and stay with FC Goa. Chaubey did not deny the report but said he has not spoken to the coach on the subject. “I have not spoken to him since there is a camp going on. What I can say is, if you are offered a lucrative contract, you may be tempted to take that offer,” he said.
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the new constitution and it will come only after the summer vacation. The Mutual Rights Agreement with the Reliance-owned Football Sports Development Limited, which runs the ISL, is due later this year. The discussions are on hold since the verdict is due, and there is confusion on when the new season will start. “I will not comment on that,” was all Chaubey had to say.
Amidst all the gloom, India has suddenly bid for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup after giving up the race to host the 2027 edition. “It was decided a long time back. We were not ready to host the tournament at that point. But now we are there. It has to be a concerted effort from all the stakeholders.”