Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Deflects Naturalised Player Debate to AIFF

India’s star goalkeeper and team captain, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, has emphasized that the inclusion of naturalised players in the national football team is a decision best left to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the government. 

Speaking ahead of India’s international friendly against Malaysia on November 18 in Hyderabad, Sandhu made it clear that his focus remains on performing on the pitch rather than weighing in on policy matters.  

“It is completely out of my reach to answer as a player. I think it is very important for our Federation, our country (authorities), and our sports government (Ministry) to think about whether they want to do this or not,” Sandhu said during a virtual press conference.  

Naturalised players, who lack genetic links to the country they represent but qualify after meeting residency requirements, have been a contentious topic in Indian football. 

While nations like Malaysia have embraced the policy, with players such as Romel Morales and Endrick Dos Santos boosting their squad, India has remained conservative. Current laws require foreigners to surrender their original passports and acquire Indian citizenship to be eligible to play.  

Malaysia’s strategy has yielded mixed results. Despite fielding the joint-highest number of naturalised players (14) at the 2023 Asian Cup, they failed to progress beyond the group stage. 

Commenting on this, Sandhu said, “Malaysia has a good number of naturalised players, and that is something other teams like Sri Lanka are doing. It’s their personal preference which they think can better them as a country.”  

For India, there has been little progress on incorporating naturalised players, despite AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey previously hinting at a list of 24 Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) players being evaluated for eligibility.  

As India gears up to face Malaysia, a team ranked lower but bolstered by its naturalised talent, Sandhu is focused on preparations. “This is our last FIFA window before the March games and the Asian Cup qualifiers. We will look to make the most of it,” he said.  

The Blue Tigers, under new coach Manolo Marquez, are seeking their first win under his guidance. Reflecting on their last encounter with Malaysia, Sandhu said, “Last year, we played against Malaysia and scored a goal that wasn’t given. Such things happen in football, but we need to make sure we go with everything we have this time.”