Favourable draw for Indians in kick-off

India will take on Turkmenistan in the first match of the Asian preliminary rounds of the 2004 Athens Olympics men’s football tournamen...

India will take on Turkmenistan in the first match of the Asian preliminary rounds of the 2004 Athens Olympics men’s football tournament.

India, who beat Turkmenistan 3-1 in the Busan Asian Games, will play the first leg on April 5, 2003 and the second leg has been scheduled for April 19, as per the draw made yesterday at the Asian Football Confederation headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

If India beats Turkmenistan they will take on Malaysia in the second round. The first leg of this tie will be played on may 3 and the second on June 7, 2003, according to information received here today. Also in the first round, Palestine will take on Nepal, Iraq meets Vietnam and Pakistan plays Syria.

The draw for the final round, to be played from August 30 to October 18 next year, will be held in late June or early July next year after the completion of the second round.

The schedule: First round: Turkmenistan vs India; Hong Kong vs Sri Lanka; Lebanon vs Jordan; Chinese Taipei vs Singapore; Kyrygyzstan vs Yemenl; Iraq vs Vietnam; Myanmar vs Bangladesh; Nepal vs Palestine; Iran vs Maldives; Oman vs Cambodia; Syria vs Pakistan; UAE vs Tajikistan.

Second round: Malaysia vs Turkmenistan or India; South Korea vs Hong Kong or Sri Lanka; Indonesia vs Lebanon or Jordan; Saudi Arabia vs Chinese Taipei or Singapore; Bahrain vs Kyrygyzstan or Yemen; North Korea vs Iraq or Vietnam; Japan vs Myanmar or Bangladesh; Kuwait vs Nepal or Palestine; Uzbekistan vs Iran or Maldives; Qatar vs Oman or Cambodia; China vs Syria or Pakistan; Thailand vs UAE or Tajikistan.