Kuala Lumpur, Oct 11: India on Wednesday announced a 23-member squad for the Merdeka football tournament to be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 13.
The Merdeka Tournament will be a three-team affair involving India, Tajikistan and hosts Malaysia as Palestine had withdrawn from the competition at the ‘last minute’ on Tuesday.
The Indian men’s team will take on Malaysia on October 13 in the tournament opener, while the winning side will face Tajikistan on October 17 as per the revised format.
India have participated twice in this event in 1959 and 1964, finishing as runner-up on both occasions.
The Merdeka Tournament is an international friendly football tournament held in Malaysia to commemorate the Independence Day. It was first held in 1957 and has been held sporadically since then, with a decade-long hiatus between 2013 and 2023. The tournament is organized by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and is considered to be an “A” international match by FIFA.The Merdeka Tournament was once regarded as one of the most prestigious football tournaments in Asia, with top teams from around the world competing. However, the tournament’s prestige has waned in recent years.(PTI)
