Jersey fiasco resolved ahead of opener against Vietnam

Panaji: Tempers within the Indian team has cooled off and focus is now back on the opener against Vietnam after two sets of locally sourced playing kits were approved by the match commissioner and an official photoshoot with the players was also completed.The Indian team will be without an official kits partner during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. The players have had to settle for makeshift kits from an Italian company with establishments in Perth, since the official jerseys sent from India “appeared manufactured for under-15 or smaller athletes and did not fit at least 80% of the 26-member squad.”Seniors within the team were furious and demanded immediate response from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

In an email to the federation, players said the “incorrect match kits at this crucial stage affected morale and disrupted focus” in the final days leading up to the opener.“It’s unfortunate that proper kits did not reach the team in Australia and I take responsibility as head of AIFF administration,” deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan told TOI on Tuesday. “This is not due to any administrative mismanagement.

We have handled several kits before and ensured that the team gets proper international exposure before the Asian Cup. When we heard of the issue from players, within a few hours we sourced new kits, got the players to try them and then printed names, logos, numbers.

”In images released by AIFF, players appeared to be in good spirits during the photoshoot on Tuesday.According to sources, AIFF has already reached an agreement in principle with Nivia Sports, but the deal couldn’t be agreed in time for the Jalandhar-based sports equipment company to ship new kits before their group stage opener in Perth.“We will have a kit partner for the next tournament. We understand it went horribly wrong this time (in Australia) but the players are fine now. Some fans have criticised saying it’s about the money. That’s not true. We have spent (heavily) on organising camps, friendlies, and getting an experienced foreign coach while retaining all the previous staff,” said Satyanarayan.