New Delhi: Cleared by the government after much deliberation, the India under-19 team have finally reached the city of Arbil in war-torn Iraq to take part in the Asian championships Group C qualifiers beginning Thursday.

On the opening day, India will take on the hosts to mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Iraqi football. This is the first time in many years that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has allowed Iraq to stage an international meet.

India nearly pulled out of the tournament after the ministry of external affairs (MEA) refused to clear the youth team for security reasons. So much so that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had to sign an indemnity bond to get the team cleared for the continental championship.

“We were scared before coming to Arbil,” admitted Ankur Dutta, the manager of the Indian team, also one of the vice-presidents of the AIFF. “But this city is in Kurdistan and the place is totally peaceful.”

The security arrangements for the tournament are also quite relaxed, the team manager said from Arbil. “We had some escorts when the team went to have a practice session at the Francouse Al-Hareeri Stadium, where the tournament will be played. There is no extra security for any of the participating teams.”

The chief coach of the Indian team, Colin Toal, however, was busy chalking out strategies to counter some of the strongest teams in Asia over the next 10 days. Apart from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Afghanistan and Kuwait are the other teams in the group.

“The group is strong but we are confident of doing well,” said the Briton, who guided India to the finals of the Asian under-16 championships last year. “We had a good preparation back home and I see no reason why we would not make the next round,” he added.

Two boys from Bengal — Tirthankar Ghosh and Souvik Ghosh — are in the Indian squad.

India’s matches: Vs Iraq (Nov. 5), Saudi Arabia (Nov. 7), Oman (Nov. 10), Afghanistan (Nov. 12), Kuwait (Nov. 15).