India to bid for 2023 AFC Asian Cup

Bengaluru, October 9: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to table a bid to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup as per reports.

The decision to put forward a bid was taken during a meeting of the AIFF's Executive Committee in Delhi on Saturday (October 7), a senior member of the AIFF revealed to the media.

Hosting the biggest continental footballing tournament would indeed be a huge stepping stone for the country who currently host the prestigious FIFA Under-17 World Cup that kicked off on the 6th of October.

With the infrastructure and facilities already at a high level (and approved by FIFA), India could have a good chance of winning the bid. However, China and South Korea, two footballing powerhouses in Asia, have also expressed their interest in hosting the 2023 edition Asian Cup.

Thailand and Indonesia were also considering a bid but withdrew earlier this year.

Meanwhile, it should be also remembered that India have already decided to bid for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup as the Indian FA continues to explore avenues to boost India's footballing profile in the world.

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup is set to be held in UAE and the Indian national team are on course to qualify for the event but they might not need to go through the rigours of qualification for the 2023 edition, provided India's bid is successful.

So far, India has done pretty well as the hosts of the Under-17 World Cup. The six venues especially the world-class stadium of Kolkata Yuba Bharati has got plenty of praise from FIFA who gave in 10 out of 10.

There is a big chance that India wins the bid for hosting the 2023 Asian Cup which would be a huge step for India’s football profile as they will automatically qualify for it as the hosts and will get plenty of coverage as the hosts.