MUMBAI: India were forced to withdraw from the Women's Asian Cup currently under way in Mumbai after a Covid outbreak left the side unable to field a full side on Sunday.
The hosts were due to take the field against Taiwan for the second of their three group games, but positive tests left them unable to name the required 13 players.
As a result India would be considered withdrawn from the tournament, which will otherwise continue as scheduled, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a statement.
All India Football Federation President Praful Patel said the team was "heartbroken".
"Unfortunately, this happened to us despite the best measures put in place, and it is sheer bad luck that it happened to us," he added.
The AFC said infected players were receiving appropriate medical care and wished them "a full and speedy recovery".
The Women's Asian Cup is the latest of several Indian sporting events derailed by the country's ongoing Omicron variant outbreak.
Elsewhere on Sunday the men's singles final of the Syed Modi International badminton tournament was called off in Lucknow after one of the competitors tested positive for the virus.
A week earlier the India Open badminton competition was hit by a number of withdrawals including men's top seed Kidambi Srikanth.
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