Players of China's U22 national team celebrate during their friendly match against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) U22 team in Huangshi, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
China's U22 national football team has withdrawn from the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.
BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's U22 national football team announced on Monday that the team has quit the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers held in Tajikistan.
"Due to epidemic prevention and control regulations, flight restrictions and other reasons, the China U22 national football team will be unable to travel to Tajikistan as planned to participate in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. We have to withdraw from the games with regret," the statement reads.
The Chinese side will instead start to prepare for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games under the head coach Alexander Jankovic.
China's U22 football team was drawn in group G together with Australia, Indonesia and Brunei in the qualifiers. The group G qualifiers were originally scheduled to be held in Indonesia from October 23 to 31.
