Coach Constantine aims at qualification for 2018 Asian U-23 football meet

New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) India football team chief coach Stephen Constantine, who also takes care of the Under-23 team, on Tuesday said the aim is to qualify for the Asian U-23 Championship next year.

"Our aim is to qualify for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship. The qualifiers are in a month's time and, hence, we can't just sit back," Constantine told www.the-aiff.com.

"New Delhi is the ideal venue to get acclimatised to the current weather of Qatar. Our focus was on working in conditions similar to Qatar," the Briton said.

The final preparatory camp ahead of the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers kicked off at the Ambedkar Stadium here on Monday.

In all, 34 players have been summoned for the camp which will continue until July 1 before the team leaves for an exposure trip to the US.

Besides players playing in the I-League, Constantine has also called two players from the U-22 trials, players for which were scouted by the AIFF scouting network led by executive committee member Abhishek Yadav.

Yadav and his team had selected players from inter-university championships, inter-college tournaments, Santosh Trophy, Second Division League, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) as well as the overseas scouting programme.

India are slated to face Syria, Turkmenistan and Qatar in Group C of 2018 AFC U-18 Championship Qualifiers which are scheduled from July 19 to July 23in Doha.

"We are scheduled to go on an exposure trip to California early next month. We'll play three or possibly four competitive matches against some club age-group teams and senior teams which will definitely come handy before we face Qatar, Syria and Turkmenistan in the qualifiers," Constantine said.

The list of players attending the camp is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Sukhadev Shivaji Patil, Kamaljit Singh, Phurba Tempa Lechenpa.

Defenders: Nishu Kumar, Lalramchullova, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Salam Ranjan Singh, Sarthak Golui, Sairuatkima, Lalruatthara, Nitesh Deepak Aswani, Subhasish Bose, Jerry Lalrinzuala.

Midfielders: Nikhil Chandrashekhar Poojary, Raynier Raymond Fernandes, Isaac Vanmalsawma Chhakchhuak, Germanpreet Singh, Vinit Rai, Mawihmingthanga, Asharudeen Pulparamban, Saurabh Das, Enestar Malngiang, Robinson Singh Khumukcham, Vignesh Dakshina Murthy, Chesterpoul Lyngdoh, Lallianzuala Chhangte.

Forwards: Hitesh Sharma, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Anto Xavier, Alen Deory, Manvir Singh, Azharuddin Mullick.