Women’s Asia Cup: AFC was not skilled in sustaining bubble, our dream has been destroyed- India coach

India ladies’s soccer staff coach Thomas Dennerby launched a scathing assault on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), saying in a technique or one other, the desires of his facet have been destroyed.

Dennerby stated India’s dream of taking a shot on the FIFA World Cup was shattered not due to any fault of the gamers however as a result of weak bio-bubble created by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).He stated the AFC didn’t present any “respect, compassion, empathy” to the staff to take care of the “extraordinary” scenario in such a high-stake event.”We were all negative about COVID when we reached the team hotel and after arrival tests. The first positive case came on the day we went out of the hotel for training and a day later (January 17), seven hotel staff tested positive. It is not rocket science to know how the outbreak came,” he advised PTI after a digital media interplay.”The tests of the hotel staff were done on January 17 and results of seven positive cases were known on Jan 18. But the information was given only on Jan 19 afternoon. What AFC was doing for the whole one day, we don’t know.”The lodge workers was examined for each six days and never each three days as achieved in case of groups, we do not know why,” an angry Dennerby alleged.India were forced out of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday after a dozen COVID-19 cases among their players led to the cancellation of a group match against Chinese Taipei minutes before kickoff here.The AFC had said given the situation, Article 4.1 of the tournament rules came into effect, which made it clear that if a team failed to assemble for a match, it would be “thought-about to have withdrawn from the related Competition.”Dennerby said the AFC should have asked the infected hotel staff to leave immediately and not have any contact with players.”We do not know why the AFC didn’t take quick motion. AFC ought to have known as the lodge instantly and requested the contaminated workers to right away depart and to not have any contact with gamers,” said the Swede.”Several lodge workers contaminated with COVID, together with staff India coordinator, kitchen workers, chef, housekeeping, service workers, all of them caring for us, cooking and serving meals, cleansing our rooms, whereas we have been inside remoted in our rooms, nonetheless the AFC waited for a complete day.”He said since the COVID-19 breach happened at the bio-bubble maintained by the AFC, it should have found a solution.”Honestly, we’re not proud of AFC event organisation and the dearth of solution-oriented dialogue. In a technique that destroyed our dream. We usually are not blaming the entire of AFC organisation, AFC is an efficient organisation in whole.”But since the COVID breach was not our fault, the AFC should have found out a solution. It was an exceptional situation and AFC could have taken steps like say postponing the matches by a few days.”What actually hurts us is that AFC is now attempting guilty us and I feel, that may be a disgrace. The solely solutions we received after we tried to have a dialogue was that they have been following article 4.1 of particular guidelines.”The team started training on January 16 when there was another round of testing and one player returned COVID-19 positive.There was another round of testing on January 18 and one more player and two support staff — team physio and strength and conditioning coach — were found infected with the virus.Another round of tests were done on January 21 and it was known the next morning that the number of COVID-19 positive players had increased to 10.Two players were injured — their bone fractured — and were on the plastic cast. There were still 11 COVID-negative players left in the squad.Then there were further tests and at 5:30 pm before the Chinese Taipei match (January 23), two more players tested positive, taking the total to 12.By that time, only nine players were COVID-negative, leading to the cancellation of the match.Dennerby questioned why the AFC did not cancel the match on the morning itself when India did not have enough players (13 under rules) by then.”If AFC already determined to ship us out from this event, why do it this painful approach, no respect, no compassion, no empathy (to) our emotions.”Honestly, did AFC wanted (us) to look like fools bringing in two players in wheelchairs, is that showing the team respect?”