CALCUTTA, SEPT 15: India have been grouped with Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore in the forthcoming pre-Olympic football tournament to be held in early 1999, president of All-India Football Federation (AIFF) Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said here today.Briefing newsmen, Dasmunshi said that the AIFF was undertaking a special project to prepare the pre-Olympics team as India had a very bright chance to qualify from this group. Dasmunshi would look after the project himself.The AIFF president said national coach Syed Naemuddin had been asked to start the camp from November next. He said India had potential in under-16, 19 and 21 year age groups.Most of the players to be selected would be from the under-19 and 21 groups. A few of the under-16 players who performed well would also be in the camp. The camp for under-19s and the senior side would be held simultaneously.The venue for the pre-Olympics camp would be the metropolis, he said and added that the camp would begin from October 15. Thirty probableswould be called for pre-Olympics camp, the AIFF president added.Dasmunshi said that the AIFF would appoint a high level foreign coach to train the Indian team including its pre-Olympic squad. The centre and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had agreed to bear part of the expenses of the coach.Asked about India's participation at the forthcoming Asian Games, Dasmunshi said that the AIFF was continuing its effort to impress upon the centre and the IOA for sending an Indian entry to the Bangkok Asiad. This stemmed from the fact that football would be a compulsory discipline at the next Afro-Asian Games to be held at Delhi next year.The IOA officials had informed him that they would take a final decision about football for the coming Asiad after the Commonwealth Games.Dasmunshi said that, if permitted, the camp for Asiad would begin on October 15. According to the current national coach, the three-week camp for the Asian Games would be enough as most of the players to be selected would be from the topclubs of the country and were in good shape.Dasmunshi confirmed that India would take part in the next Asian Cup to be held in Lebanon in year 2000.
