Kamal Ghorui
Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has invited Academia del Balompie Boliviano defender Abneet Bharti to join the national team camp but it’s unlikely that he will be considered for India’s clash against Hong Kong later this month.Bharti, 27, has been playing in the top tier of Bolivian football for the last two seasons. He was called for the senior national team camp for the away battle against Bangladesh last year but could not make it since his club had important games and travel to India would take up considerable time.Now, Bharti is on his way to Kochi where coach Khalid Jamil will have a closer look for the first time.“Bharti is born in Nepal, and although he has an Indian passport, we will need FIFA clearance for him to be eligible to represent the national team,” a senior AIFF official told TOI on Tuesday. “We have called him for the camp where Khalid will assess him and see if he fits into the squad.”Should he pass the test, Bharti will be an important addition to India’s central defensive options where Anwar Ali and Sandesh Jhingan are top choices.Bharti grew up in two youth academies of Singapore, before moving to Spain at Real Valladolid. He has also played for Czech side, FK Varnsdorf, while his previous attempt to play in the top tier Indian Super League (ISL) with Kerala Blasters didn’t come to fruition.Meanwhile, Jamil’s 23-member probables list includes Bengaluru FC’s Ryan Williams, the Australian-born winger who obtained an Indian passport last year. Should he remain fit, he will make his national team debut against Hong Kong on March 31.Williams’ mother was born in an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai. It will now be a true homecoming for the winger, given that his maternal grandfather, Lincoln Eric Grostate, was a footballer of repute, who played for Tatas and represented Bombay at the national football championship for Santosh Trophy in 1956.“When I put on the India jersey, I’ll give everything for the country, everything for the team, everything for the fans,” Williams told TOI in a previous interview. “It would be quite difficult to put (that feeling) into words, but there’s going to be joy. It will be quite emotional.”India are out of the race to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. Despite being the highest ranked team in the group, they are without a win in five matches and will finish at the bottom.
