SEOUL, Feb 17 – The age limit in men’s football at the postponed Asian Games will be raised by one year, officials here said Friday, keeping the doors open for players who otherwise wouldn’t have been eligible in 2023.
According to the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) on Friday, the organising committee for the Hangzhou Asian Games recently decided to allow players at 24 years old and under to play in the men’s football tournament, reported Yonhap news agency.
Men’s football at Asian Games is typically limited to players under 23, save for three over-age players per each nation.
However, after the Asian Games were pushed back by one year to this September due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, the organisers decided to raise the age limit by one year too.
If the competition had been held on schedule last year, players born on Jan 1, 1999, or after would have been eligible. With Hangzhou’s decision, those 1999 births will remain eligible.
Organisers of the Tokyo Summer Olympics took the same step after their competition was postponed from 2020 to 2021. Olympic men’s football tournaments are usually reserved for U-23 players too.
The Asian Games entry has also expanded from 20 players in 2018 to 22 players. Teams can make up to five substitutions, up from three.
