The FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday night saw geopolitics rearing it’s head when the Palestine and Israel football officials did not shake hands despite an effort from Gianni Infantino to bring them together on stage. It sparked off an awkward moment in full gaze of the delegates at the Vancouver Convention Centre while the Iranian officials’ absence for the conclave was also brought up during their roll call.   

 Palestine Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman, the vice president of Israel’s national football governing body, despite Infantino’s appeal. Both addressed the Congress but when the FIFA boss tried to orchestrate a handshake between the two, Rajoub moved away from Suliman – protested loudly away from microphones before walking away from the stage.

 “President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman, let’s work together. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. Let’s work together for that,” Infantino said on a night he also confirmed that he would be running for re-election.

Rajoub, on his part, urged FIFA to address the Palestine Football Association’s allegations that Israel has breached anti-discrimination regulation by allowing clubs based in the West Bank settlements. He also said that PFA had knocked on the doors of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA ruled in March not to suspend Israel over its West Bank clubs.

The PFA official also questioned whether Israel has “the right to even be part of FIFA. “From my side, I still respect and follow all the legal procedures through FIFA institutions but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned because of the violations of the statutes of FIFA, the human rights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yariv Teper, acting general secretary of the Israel Football Association, said that they were willing to work with the Palestinian counterparts. “We are in the FIFA Congress,” Teper said. “Our mission is to promote football and a better future for all regions, and this is our mission.”

Earlier in the day, Infantino opened his remarks by addressing the absence of the Iranian delegation. “Let me start at the outset confirming straight away for those who maybe want to say something else, or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” he said.

“And of course Iran will play in the United States of America. The reason for that is very simple, dear friends. It’s because we have to unite. We have to bring people together.”

Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj and other officials had arrived at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday night but were denied entry into Canada. Taj had previously served as a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which Canada listed as a terrorist entity in June, 2024.

Commenting on the row, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said it was her understanding that the Iranian delegation had received permission to enter Canada but it was then revoked. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not respond to questions about reports that Taj had been issued a temporary resident permit, which allows foreign nationals who are otherwise inadmissible to Canada to enter the country temporarily if there is a ‘compelling’ reason.

The Blue Tigers will have to vie for the third place in the four-nation Unity Cup in London after they suffered a 2-0 loss to a higher ranked Jamaica in the semi-finals at The Valley on Wednesday. They will take on Zimbabwe, who lost the other semi-final to Nigeria, for a podium finish on 30 May (Saturday) at 7 pm IST.  

 Ranked 136 in the world, India started as underdogs against the Caribbeans – who fielded an young team here but were still strong enough to win the day. Courtney Clarke’s stunning early strike in the eighth minute and Kaheim Dixon’s solo effort in the 78th minute ensured the Reggae Boyz marched into the final.

 Khalid Jamil’s men, who were playing their first match on British soil since 2002, could hardly settle into rhythm as Jamaica struck early. A quick Jamaican counter sliced through India’s shape in the eighth minute, forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into a sharp save from a tight angle. The danger was far from over as India failed to clear their lines and Clarke intercepted a loose pass before scoring in emphatic fashion. He shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a breathtaking strike into the top-right corner beyond Sandhu’s desperate dive.

 Jamaica, placed 71st in the FIFA rankings, continued to attack, stretching the Indian defence through the wings and exploiting spaces with alarming ease. Dixon nearly doubled the advantage in the 17th minute when he burst through on goal, but Sandhu stood tall and made a brave stop to keep India alive.

The Blue Tigers nearly found a lifeline in the 53rd minute after a mistake from the Jamaican defence and goalkeeper. Roshan seized upon a loose ball and played Rahim Ali through on goal after the striker had replaced Lalrindika at half-time. However, Ali had strayed offside, so Chhangte's follow-up finish into the empty net did not count.

The chance, though, transformed the momentum of the match. Jamil’s men tried to make a match of it in the second half, pushing higher up the pitch and probing the Jamaican defence with far greater intent. The Blue Tigers finally began asking questions, forcing Jamaica onto the backfoot during their best spell of the contest.

However, Dixon produced a moment of magic that put paid to all their hopes. The Charlton Athletic winger, playing at his home stadium, collected the ball near the edge of the area in the 78th minute and worked past the defenders. He then created space before drilling a low shot through Akash Mishra’s legs and into the far bottom corner beyond Sandhu. 

Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa delivered another statement victory at Norway Chess 2026, defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game for the second time this year and emerging as the only player to achieve the feat in the elite tournament.

The 20-year-old's victory dealt a near-fatal blow to Carlsen's hopes of securing an eighth Norway Chess crown while keeping alive Praggnanandhaa's own bid to become the first Indian champion of the prestigious event.

With two rounds remaining, American Grandmaster Wesley So leads the standings on 14 points, followed by Alireza Firouzja on 13 and Praggnanandhaa on 12 after a crucial Round 8 triumph. Carlsen, enduring one of his most difficult campaigns in recent years, is stranded on nine points and appears out of contention.

Playing with the black pieces, Praggnanandhaa gradually outplayed the five-time world champion in a tense queen-and-bishop endgame. Although the position appeared headed for a draw, the Indian continued to apply pressure and eventually capitalised on a late mistake from Carlsen.

"It's more important for the tournament that I get this win than thinking that it's Magnus," Praggnanandhaa said after the game.

"Of course, it's great to do it against Magnus, but I think winning any game at this stage of the tournament is good."

Reflecting on the contest, he added: "I was putting pressure throughout, both on the clock and on the board. I thought Carlsen defended really well given the time trouble, and in the end it looked like it could be a draw. I've lost too many points in time trouble, so I don't mind taking some back."

The defeat marked Carlsen's third overall loss to Praggnanandhaa in classical chess, having also fallen to the Indian star during the 2024 edition of Norway Chess. It further underlined the Chennai-born grandmaster's growing status among the world's elite.

However, Praggnanandhaa dismissed suggestions that a generational shift was underway.

"He's still very good. He has around 20 world titles, so no one is even close," he said.

"I've had some good results in the past two months, but I wouldn't say it's easier to play Magnus. He is still very strong, but in this tournament, whenever he has been under time pressure, things haven't gone his way."

While Praggnanandhaa surged into title contention, reigning world champion D. Gukesh endured another disappointing outing. The Indian lost to Firouzja in a classical game, ending his title hopes and leaving him at the bottom of the six-player field on eight points.

Firouzja's victory lifted him to second place on 13 points, just one behind leader Wesley So, who defeated Germany's Vincent Keymer in an Armageddon tie-break after their classical game ended in a draw.

The ninth and penultimate round after Wednesday's rest day will see an all-Indian clash, with Praggnanandhaa taking on Gukesh with the black pieces.

In the women's event, Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva tightened her grip on the title race with a vital classical win over Divya Deshmukh, moving to 15.5 points. China's Zhu Jiner defeated women's world champion Ju Wenjun to draw level with Divya on 10 points.

Defending champion Anna Muzychuk and Koneru Humpy shared the points in their classical game before Humpy secured the Armageddon bonus point.

With two rounds to go, Assaubayeva leads comfortably on 15.5 points, ahead of Muzychuk on 10.5, while Divya and Zhu remain tied on 10.

With PTI inputs

In Kolkata’s social circles, she may have been referred to as Leander Paes’ mother in recent years, but Jennifer Paes — who passed away at 72 on Sunday, 17 May — was much more than that. Captain of the Indian women’s basketball team in the 1970s and early ‘80s, Jennifer was reported to be suffering from cancer for a number of years and had moved away from public life.

The memorial service, performed at St Thomas Church in Kolkata, had the Paes family in attendance — including Jennifer's Olympic medallist tennis icon son Leander, now a BJP member based in the city of his birth. It has been a double blow for Leander and his sisters Jackie and Maria as they lost father and Olympian Dr Vece Paes only in August last year.

Paying a brief visit at the service was Bengal’s new chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who also put out an X post for convey his condolences. ‘’Deeply saddened by the passing away of Smt. Jennifer Paes; Mother of Indian Tennis legend Leander Paes. A former captain of the Indian Basketball team & Olympian, her immense contribution to Indian Sports and her legacy will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to Leander Paes and the entire family in this hour of grief. Praying for strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. May her Soul rest in Eternal Peace.’’

There is, however, a factual inaccuracy that has often circulated about Jennifer being part of the Indian women’s basketball team at the 1972 Munich Olympics alongside Vece Paes, who a member of the bronze medallist men’s hockey team. Records say women’s basketball was introduced in the Olympics only in 1976, so it would not have been possible for Jennifer to be part of the 1972 contingent. Oldtimers like hockey legend Gurbux Singh, now 91, feels Jennifer could have visited the Olympics as Dr Paes’ wife.

However, Jennifer led the country in the 1980-82 Asian Basketball Championship and was a long-time stalwart of the sport, apart from being an inspiring figure at the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA) courts at the Kolkata maidan for years.

Born Jennifer Dutton, Jennifer was a descendant of legendary and iconoclastic Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a fact made famous by Leander later. Though Dr Paes and Jennifer separated when the children were very young, the Paes family remains a unique chapter in the country’s history of sporting families. During several interviews, Leander has often spoken about acquiring his DNA from his sporting parents.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order that permitted star wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games 2026.

The matter is listed before a bench of justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, which is scheduled to hear the Federation’s plea on Friday.

The legal dispute stems from a 22 May order of a division bench of the Delhi High Court, which allowed Phogat to compete in the upcoming selection trials. The court observed that the WFI’s selection policy appeared “exclusionary” as it did not allow any discretion to consider exceptional cases, particularly athletes returning after a maternity break.

The high court noted that Phogat, an “iconic athlete”, should be given a fair opportunity to compete and directed that she be allowed to take part in the trials scheduled for 30–31 May.

To ensure transparency in the selection process, the court also directed that the trials be video-recorded by the WFI. It further ordered the presence of independent observers from both the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The WFI, however, has contested the order, arguing that selection procedures must strictly follow established criteria to maintain fairness and consistency in team selection.

The case has now moved to the apex court, where the federation seeks to overturn the high court’s decision ahead of the scheduled trials.

The outcome of the hearing is expected to have significant implications for selection norms and the participation of returning athletes in high-performance sporting events.

With PTI inputs

The spectre of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh came back to haunt the sport again with Olympian Vinesh Phogat identifying herself as one of the six female wrestlers who were sexually harassed by the official.

The admission made by the wrestler in a video statement on Sunday, 3 May was part of a tirade in which Vinesh said Brij Bhushan was trying to scuttle her comeback bid in the Asian Games later this year. She alleged that the WFI’s decision to hold ranking tournaments and trials in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh — a personal stronghold for Brij Bhushan — is not going to provide her a level playing field under any circumstances.

‘’He (Brij Bhushan) has his own private college and this competition is being organised there. That every hardworking athlete will get their due there — this is something very unlikely and almost impossible,’’ said Vinesh, who missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 after being ‘overweight’ by 100 grams in the weigh-in. A tearful Vinesh then bid adieu to the sport and took a plunge into politics before announcing her comeback from retirement.

Vinesh further alleged that despite Brij Bhushan's official removal, the federation remains under his de facto control through current chief Sanjay Singh. ‘’Who will referee whose match, how many points a referee will give... all of this will be controlled by Brij Bhushan and his people. And the government and our sports ministry are watching this as silent spectators.

‘’You can imagine — going to his place, to his own college where every person would be connected to him... going there and competing in such a situation is extremely difficult. Even after that, whether I will be able to go there and give my 100 per cent — I do not think so."

The cases against Singh first made global headlines in 2023 when three top wrestlers — Vinesh and Olympic medallists Sakshi Mallik and Bajrang Punia — led months of sit-in protests at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, which took a dramatic turn when police detained them during a march to India’s new Parliament building. Footage of the Olympic medallists being dragged through the streets sparked international condemnation, including a rare rebuke from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

Brij Bhushan, a former BJP MP, was cleared in a separate sexual harassment case filed by an underage female wrestler. A Delhi court accepted a police report recommending the cancellation of that specific case after the complainant reportedly withdrew her statement last year.

However, Brij Bhushan — who has consistently denied all allegations — still faces serious charges of sexual harassment and stalking in the ongoing case involving Vinesh and five other adult female wrestlers. ‘’The Supreme Court guidelines say that the identity of any victim should not be revealed because it concerns their dignity and honour,’’ Vinesh said, before adding: ‘’But today, due to certain circumstances, I want to tell you all something. I did not want to speak while the case is still pending... But I want to say that I myself am one of those six victims who filed a complaint, and our testimonies are still ongoing.’’

Gujarat Titans' disappointing IPL final loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru was followed by a safety scare on Sunday night when players and support staff were forced to evacuate their team bus after a short circuit caused the vehicle to break down.

According to PTI, smoke spread inside the bus while it was transporting the team back to their hotel after the five-wicket defeat. All players and staff exited safely, with no injuries reported. The squad waited by the roadside for a brief period before a replacement bus was arranged.

The incident capped a difficult few days for the Titans, who had endured a demanding travel schedule heading into the final. The team travelled from Dharamsala to Mullanpur for Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals before weather-related disruptions delayed their return to Ahmedabad, where they arrived only on Saturday evening.

The hectic schedule prompted questions about whether fatigue contributed to GT's underwhelming batting performance, which saw them post just 155/8 in the title clash.

GT director of cricket Vikram Solanki, however, refused to use tiredness as an excuse.

"I don't want to take away from the fact that RCB have won by simply stating that we've had this number of games in these short days and we're fatigued," Solanki said after the match.

"Admittedly, it was a below-par total, but they showed great fight to try and defend it. You've got to accept that the opposition sometimes play well as well," he added.

While the bus incident ended without injuries, it served as a dramatic postscript to a night that Gujarat Titans will be eager to forget.

With PTI inputs

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has strongly backed fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat amid the ongoing row over her eligibility, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Wrestling Federation of India to allow her to compete and make an international comeback.

Vinesh, who announced her retirement shortly after her dramatic disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, later reversed her decision after becoming a mother last year and has been attempting to return to competitive wrestling after nearly 20 months away from the sport.

However, in a 15-page show-cause notice, the Wrestling Federation of India declared Vinesh “ineligible” to participate in sanctioned competitions until at least 26 June 2026. The decision effectively bars her from competing in the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

Backing Vinesh publicly, Sakshi appealed to authorities to permit the wrestler to take part in trials.

“I request my Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and the Wrestling Federation to take Vinesh’s trials so that she can also win medals for the country and make the country proud,” Sakshi said.

She further said Vinesh’s return could become an important example for women athletes balancing motherhood and professional sport.

“And to set such an example, so that women can play in their own country, even after becoming a mother, win medals and make the country proud,” she added.

Sakshi also criticised the federation’s handling of the issue, arguing that many international sports bodies actively support female athletes returning after childbirth.

“I can give many such examples where sports federations of other countries make rules easier for their players so that even after becoming a mother, women can play for the country and win medals,” she said in a video posted on social media.

“Whereas our federation implements such rules two days before so that Vinesh cannot make a comeback,” Sakshi alleged.

Despite being declared ineligible, Vinesh appeared at the Senior National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda and maintained that both the International Testing Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency had cleared her to return to competition from 1 January 2026.

The controversy has sparked wider debate within Indian sports over athlete welfare, federation transparency and support mechanisms for women athletes returning to elite competition after motherhood.

With IANS inputs

The FIFA World Cup 2026 may have been branded as the ‘biggest’ of them all with 48 teams and a whopping 104 matches, but all are certainly not welcome. The rigid US visa rules — which saw a leading African referee on the panel being the latest to be denied entry — and the controversy over ticket distribution and pricing has left thousands of fans bitterly disappointed.

Close on the heels of the Iranian football team’s complaint of delays in receiving visas while its support staff, including the Iranian Football Federation chief, were denied entry came the news that FIFA had to drop Omar Artan — set to be the first Somalian referee in the showpiece — from the officials’ list.  Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.

In another shocking development, Iran complained on Tuesday, 9 June that FIFA has now revoked the country's share of tickets for travelling fans, which means Iranian fans cannot be present at the venues. FIFA regulations state that each federation involved in the World Cup receives 8 per cent of tickets for each of their matches to distribute to supporters.

The Iran football federation added that it had already begun selling tickets but can no longer provide them to fans, some of whom have already made travel arrangements. ''Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries," the statement said.

Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey. A helpless FIFA gave in after speaking to US authorities as their statement read: ‘’FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.’

‘’FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present. In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.’’

Speaking in a statement to Reuters, Artan said despite the circumstances he was in a positive mood and focused on the next challenge. ‘’I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,’’ he said. ‘’I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.’’

The world governing body has so far betrayed a weak-kneed attitude in terms of earning any kind of bandwidth from the US, leading many to question the logic of them wooing Trump with a peace award last December. FIFA’s greed to maximise profits from ticket sales — despite expanding the event by 16 teams at one go as well as the number of matches — has also faced a heavy flak as they introduced ‘variable pricing’ for the first time, whereby prices can fluctuate based on real or perceived demand.

Between October 2025 — when they threw open the ticket window — and April, FIFA hiked prices in at least one ticket category for 95 of the World Cup’s 104 matches: the average increase being 35 per cent. Media reports say that a Category 1 ticket to the final now costs $10,990, up from $6,730 back in October. Group-stage prices ranged from $140 in Category 3 for less important games to $890 in Category 1 (Colombia vs Portugal) and nearly $3,000 for the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa. 

Ticket prices, as of April, were more than twice that of equivalent tickets in Qatar 2022. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino had, on his part, justified the prohibitive pricing by calling the US a very special market when ‘’no one complains’’ about ticket prices “when you go to a concert or an NFL game”.

The huge backlash from fans worldwide has led FIFA to a damage control measure of alloting $60 tickets for around 1,000 supporters per match. This is, of course, a drop in the ocean as many were still left staring at prices far beyond any they’d ever seen — while FIFA continued to defend its pricing as a reflection of “existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events” in North America.

The run-up to World Cups has often not been smooth — be it reports of human rights abuse in Qatar in 2022 or public outrage about extravagance on the eve of Rio 2014. However, when the 'Big Brother' hosts an event of this magnitude, one expects better.

Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with the franchise confirming on Friday that it accepted his request to relinquish the role with immediate effect after another disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Pant’s exit comes after LSG endured a poor IPL 2026 campaign, finishing at the bottom of the points table and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The wicketkeeper-batter, signed ahead of the 2025 season for a record Rs 27 crore fee, had been expected to lead Lucknow into title contention but instead oversaw two underwhelming seasons.

In a statement posted on X, LSG said Pant himself had approached the franchise seeking relief from captaincy responsibilities. “Rishabh approached the franchise with this request, and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective — rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,” the franchise said.

The move marks one of the first major leadership changes following IPL 2026 and could be followed by others across the league.

Questions over captaincy have also surfaced at Mumbai Indians after another turbulent season under Hardik Pandya. Reports have suggested the five-time champions may be reassessing their leadership structure after crashing out of playoff contention. Hardik, who led Gujarat Titans to a title before returning to Mumbai in a high-profile move, has overseen a mixed tenure marked by a last-place finish in 2024, a playoff appearance in 2025 and another disappointing campaign this year.

Against that backdrop, LSG’s decision to accept Pant’s resignation appears part of a broader trend of franchises reconsidering leadership models after inconsistent results.

Pant’s own season reflected the uncertainty surrounding Lucknow’s campaign. He scored 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.61 and a strike rate of 146.79 — an improvement on his 2025 numbers but still below expectations for one of the tournament’s most expensive acquisitions.

LSG repeatedly altered his role with the bat. Pant opened the innings in the season opener before shifting to no. 3 and later moving further down the order as the franchise searched for balance. The team’s performances failed to improve. Lucknow managed only four wins in 10 matches, while Pant frequently appeared subdued during post-match media interactions as pressure mounted on the side.

Director of cricket Tom Moody had hinted at a possible reset after LSG’s final game, acknowledging that leadership would come under review. “From a captaincy point of view, he’s found it challenging, and the results reflect that,” Moody said after the team’s seven-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings. "But certainly we haven’t lived up to the expectation or the standard that we expect of ourselves… it certainly looks like we’re needing to consider a reset.”

The season was also punctuated by speculation over internal dynamics within the Lucknow camp. At different points, Pant hinted that the support structure involved “too many coaches”, remarks that triggered discussion about decision-making and the dressing-room environment.

Attention will now turn to who succeeds him. Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh are understood to be among the leading contenders for the captaincy.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians too could face significant decisions in the months ahead if speculation around Hardik’s future gathers pace. With Rohit Sharma approaching the latter phase of his IPL career and Suryakumar Yadav enduring an inconsistent season, reports have even floated younger names such as Tilak Varma as potential long-term leadership options.

For LSG, however, the immediate task is clearer: rebuild after two failed seasons and determine whether a change in captaincy can revive a franchise that entered the Pant era with far greater expectations.

India's 'Blue Tigers', whose last international fixture was a dead rubber in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in March, have returned to English soil after 24 years — this time for a four-nation Unity Cup at The Valley, London. Later tonight, they take on Jamaica for the semi-final while the other teams in the fray are Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

The last time the senior Indian men’s team played on English soil was in 2002, also against Jamaica, when the sides met twice in friendly matches in Watford and Wolverhampton. This time around, the invitation tournament offers the team guided by Khalid Jamil a unique opportunity to test themselves against higher-ranked opposition from the opposite ends of the globe.

The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the final on 30 May while the remaining teams will contest the third-place play-off on the same day. ‘’We have selected players who performed well in the ISL. Based on that, we will continue to build the team and whoever performs well gets selected,” the head coach said. 

The Blue Tigers arrived in London on Sunday with 17 players after the withdrawal of Mohun Bagan SG players. Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari joined a day later while Jamil has also called up midfielder Macarton Nickson and defender Nikhil Barla, who reached the camp on Tuesday.

Forward Edmund Lalrindika, a member of the ISL champions East Bengal, felt that the tournament represents both exposure and an important benchmark for the team’s progress. “This is a very good exposure for us and a great experience. It is an opportunity to test ourselves against higher-ranked teams. We will try our best to get positive results,’’ said Lalrindika.

The 27-year-old also called on the Indian expats to rally behind the team in London. “To all the Indian fans, I hope they come in big numbers and support us,” he said. 

Currently ranked 136th in the FIFA chart, India enter the contest as underdogs against a 71st-ranked Jamaica side that came within a game of qualifying for the upcoming World Cup. The Reggae Boyz lost to DR Congo in the qualifying play-offs in March.

“It is very good for us to be here and play in this tournament,’’ said Jamil, before adding:  ‘’Jamaica are definitely a stronger team, but we will try our best to do well. It is important for us to make a good start. We are focused on the opening match. Then we will think about the next game. We want to go step by step,’’ said Jamil.

Jamaica, however, have arrived with one of the youngest squads in the competition, carrying an average age of 22.8 years. Some experienced names in the Jamaican squad include captain and defender Damion Lowe, right-back Dexter Lembikisa, defender Joel Latibeaudiere, a member of the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup in India in England colours and midfielder Isaac Hayden.