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Footballer gives up Australian citizenship so he can play for India, added in national camp, set for debut this month
Ryan Williams is a 31-year-old midfielder born in Perth, and has played for Australia U-20 and U-23 teams. He also represented the senior team.
In what could be a new chapter for Indian football, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has added Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti for the national camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka. The AFC Asian Cup qualifier is scheduled for November 18.
The camp began in Bengaluru on Thursday, with both players expected to join soon. If cleared, both players will be included in the squad for the fixture.
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Williams is a 31-year-old midfielder born in Perth, and has played for Australia U-20 and U-23 teams. He also represented the senior team as a second-half substitute during a friendly in 2019, against South Korea.
He has also represented English teams Fulham and Portsmouth. He joined ISL side Bengaluru FC in 2023.
Williams' mother was born into an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai. Meanwhile, his twin brother Aryn spent some time with Indian clubs like NEROCA FC.
In an Instagram video, Williams was seen attending a mock citizenship interview conducted by Sunil Chhetri. He posted, "Honoured to make official what’s long felt true. Grateful for the love, the opportunity, and the sense of belonging this country has given me."
"As you can see, the last round of interviews was the hardest. India, I’m one of your own!"
Earlier this year, he expressed a desire to take up Indian citizenship, which would require him to relinquish his Australian passport. He recently got his Indian passport. The idea was brought to the attention of AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey by Chhetri.
Chaubey told PTI, "Sunil Chhetri gave the first information about Ryan Williams, who wants to play for India, by giving up his Australian passport. From then on, the process started."
Meanwhile, Bharti is a 27-year-old defender, and is an Indian citizen based in Brazil. He plays for Academia del Balompié Boliviano (ABB), a first-division club in Bolivia. "We got to know of him through the Indian embassy in Brazil; we then invited him to join the national camp," Chaubey said.
