India pulls out of Flag Football World Championship, aims to host Asia-Oceania tournament in 2025

Due to visa and other issues, India will miss out on the opportunity to participate in back-to-back worlds. In 2021, the team finished 20th in the world championship held in Israel.

The Indian Flag football contingent. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Indian men’s team will not participate in the upcoming Flag Football World Championship, which is to be held in Finland between August 27 and 30, Dr Sandeep Chaudhari, CEO of American Football Federation of India (AFFI), confirmed.

Due to visa and other issues, the team will miss out on the opportunity to participate in back-to-back worlds. In 2021, India finished 20th at the world championship held in Israel.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“It’s not only about the visa. There were also some technical issues from the international organiser side, so we could not cope in time. There were a lot of technicalities involved from our side, also. We don’t want to blame it on someone else. Everyone tried their best to help us out,” Chaudhari told  Sportstar over a telephone interview.

After receiving no answer or reason from the Finland embassy for rejecting some of the team members’ visas, the AFFI members and players tried to re-apply, but the window was too short. It would take at least 30 days, which they didn’t have.

“Morale is definitely down because everyone worked so hard. We were practising and supposed to have a closing camp also now. We accepted it was not in our hands. In preparation towards the 2028 Olympics, this was the first big tournament where the guys could have showcased their talent and known where they stand in the world,” Chaudhari added.

Last year, India took part in the inaugural Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It earned qualification to the worlds through this tournament.

Next year, India intends to host the second edition of the continental championships, revealed Chaudhari. “We are trying to host it and have already forwarded our bid. It is in a very premature state, but to my knowledge, no one has the hosting rights yet. Come September, after this tournament, things will be clear.”

If India had travelled to Finland for the worlds, Chaudhari believes, as the office bearer, he could have furthered talks of hosting next year’s tournament with officials of the International Federation of American Football - the world governing body that organises the World and the Asia-Oceania Championship.