Australia star Sam Kerr has lent her support to the Indian women's national team, issuing a heartfelt video message to the AFC Women's Asian Cup hosts on Wednesday.
India's participation in the tournament came to an end on Sunday, when COVID-19 cases and injuries meant they were unable to name the minimum 13 players required for their match against Chinese Taipei, leading to their withdrawal.
Currently leading the tournament's scoring charts with six goals from two matches, Kerr sympathised with the team's plight, urging them to use the setback as motivation for the future.
"Hi girls, this is Sam Kerr from the Australian national team. Just wanted to send you guys a message and say how sorry I am for the situation you guys are in right now. I am so disappointed for you guys, I know you had been working so hard for this tournament. Use this as fuel, come back stronger," she said in a video posted by All India Football Federation (AIFF)'s social media handle.
"I was looking forward to hopefully playing you guys but it wasn't to be, hopefully in the future we'll meet. Good luck in your future endeavours and hopefully one day we'll see you back in this tournament," the Australian captain added.
Title-chasing Australia's campaign will continue with a Group B match against Thailand on Thursday, with the 2010 champions having already booked their place in the knockout stage.
( With inputs from ANI )
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