AIFF Aims To Scout Tall Footballers; Unimpressed Fans Point Out Heights Of Messi, Chhetri

As per a report in the Indian Express, the president of AIFF Kalyan Chaubey has told football association in Rajasthan to keep an eye on tall young players and develop their skills.

“During one of my trips around the country watching football, I spotted that players from Rajasthan would stand out because of their height. That made me explore the idea of keeping an eye on them," Chaubey said. "So I spoke to officials of the Rajasthan state association to look for 14-15-year-old boys and develop their skills. There is a high probability that they will be close to 6’3″ or 6’4” when they reach the senior level."

Chittorgarh, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Mewar belt have been identified as regions to scout six-foot-plus players, Chaubey said.

The decision has triggered debate among Indian football fans. While some fans pointed out Sunil Chhetri's height to display their dissatisfaction, some cautioned that first focus should be on developing skills.

Some fans also pointed out that Japan, despite having relatively shorter players, are the best Asian side.

A lot of fans also used humour to slam AIFF's decision of trying to find tall players. The decision to go on the quest of tall players also faced backlash from football fans from North-East. However, in a social media post Chaubey clarified that he had not said anything about players from North-East.

Meanwhile, Indian squad to play Vietnam was unveiled on Sunday. India and Vietnam will lock horns in a one-off friendly on October 12 after Lebanon pulled out of a scheduled tri-series.