BCCI will not send cricket teams at the Asian Games 2023
(BCCI) has said it would not be sending both India’s men’s and women’s teams for the upcoming Asian Games in September
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that it will not dispatch both the men's and women's teams to the September Asian Games. India will not participate in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, despite demands from other associations to make cricket a global sport. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) is pressing for Cricket to be included in the Olympics, BCCI's refusal to participate in an international event has left many questions unanswered.
The Games were originally scheduled to take place from 10 to 25 September 2022; on 6 May 2022, the event was postponed to 2023 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic in China and the potential threat of new variants. Before preparing to host the ODI World Cup, the BCCI has stated that they have prior obligations to fulfill and the Asia Cup to manage.
The Asian Games will begin on September 23 and conclude on October 8, coinciding with the World Cup. The ODI World Cup is anticipated to begin on October 5, leaving insufficient time for players to recuperate and compete in the main tournament. Due to its busy schedule, BCCI is unlikely to dispatch a team to the Asian Games.
India's chef de mission for the Asian Games, Bhupender Bajwa, told The Indian Express that the country's cricket team would not be attending."They reported being preoccupied. We sent them three to four emails, but when it came time to submit entries to the organizers, they said they wouldn't attend.
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A BCCI representative verified the development and added that they received the email from the Indian Olympic Association 'one day before the deadline'.
"We received the letter from IOA one day prior to the deadline. Similarly, the BCCI has already completed the FTP for women's cricket. Our crew will not be available during the Asian Games as they will be competing in a tournament," said a BCCI official.