Football team india ready for intercontinental cup

TEAM INDIA NEW LOOK 

BHUBANESWAR: Since its inception in 2018, the Hero Intercontinental Cup has not been just a four-nation tournament, but also a convergence of various footballing styles and cultures.

The inaugural edition was staged in 2018 in Mumbai, featuring three teams from three different confederations alongside hosts India - Kenya (CAF), Chinese Taipei (AFC) and New Zealand (OFC). In the final, India beat Kenya 2-0 thanks to a Sunil Chhetri brace to clinch the trophy.

While all four teams in the second edition belonged to AFC, they came from culturally distinct regions across Asia - Tajikistan, DPR Korea and Syria. Hosts India were unable to defend their title as DPR Korea edged Tajikistan 1-0 to win the final in Ahmedabad.

And now, the Hero Intercontinental Cup returns after four years to a new venue - the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, featuring three new guest teams - Mongolia, Vanuatu and Lebanon.

About Team

Also known as The Blue Tigers, the Senior Men’s National Team is eligible to take part in the FIFA World Cup, AFC Asian Cup, SAFF Championships and various Invitational, International and Friendly matches involving National ‘A’ Teams.

The team’s first foray as an Independent Nation was in the first round of the 1948 Summer Olympics against France at the Cricketfield Stadium in London on July 31, 1948. Talimeren Ao captained the team with Balaidas Chatterjee as the coach-cum-manager. France overcame the stern Indian challenge 2-1.

India’s golden era was during the 1950s and early 1960s arguably, when under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim, the team won the Gold Medal in the inaugural Asian Games in Delhi in 1951, and repeated the feat in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.

The Asian Games Gold in 1951 was India’s first-ever major trophy. Sahoo Mewalal scored the winner against Iran in the final. India followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne where Neville D'Souza scored a hat-trick against hosts Australia, thus becoming the first Asian to attain the feat at the Olympics.