Kuala Lumpur, Dec 19 (IANS): India were drawn against hosts Thailand, Kuwait and Lebanon in Group A of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025. The draw, which saw 16 teams divided into four groups of four, was held at the AFC House here on Thursday.

India will participate in the tournament after 18 years, having last featured at the 2007 Asian Beach Soccer Championship in the UAE. The Indian national beach soccer team will be active for the first time since the 2008 Asian Beach Games in Indonesia.

Set to be hosted by Thailand for a third time, the 11th edition of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup will take place at Jomtien Beach in Pattaya from March 20 to 30, 2025.

The 16 teams were seeded into four pots based on their final ranking from the 2023 tournament, where applicable, with Thailand seeded first as the host association.

Thailand and Kuwait were quarterfinalists in the 2023 edition, while Lebanon were eliminated in the group stage.

The top two finishers from each group will move into the quarterfinals. Qualification to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is also on offer – the top three teams will fill the three berths allocated to the AFC for the 2025 edition in the Seychelles.

AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025 Draw Result

Group A: Thailand, Kuwait, Lebanon, India

Group B: Japan, China PR, Saudi Arabia, Iraq

Group C: Iran, UAE, Afghanistan, Indonesia

Group D: Oman, Bahrain, Malaysia, Vietnam