AFC U-23 Championship 2018: Indian team to head to USA for 'exposure trip' after New Delhi preparatory camp

New Delhi: Aiming to qualify for next year’s AFC Under-23 Championships, the Indian team will travel to USA for an exposure trip after undergoing a preparatory camp in New Delhi. Thirty four players have been summoned for the camp, which will continue till July 1 before the team departs for the USA. [caption id=“attachment_3724111” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Indian U-23 team at a training session with national coach Stephen Constantine. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@IndianFootball[/caption] Besides players playing in the Hero I-League, national national football team coach Stephen 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, 2017 to July 23, 2017 in Doha, Qatar. “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 and ponder over,” Constantine maintained. “New Delhi is the ideal venue to get acclimatised to the current weather of Qatar. Our focus was on working in the similar conditions to Qatar,” he added. The tour to the USA, Constantine believes, will “come in handy.” “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 mentioned. 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.