Disqualification of three teams from the AFC U-16 Championship this year, preceded by a ban of two years on 16 players in the year 2000 and eight in the next edition of this event have sent a clear message that AFC’s has a zero tolerance policy towards age bandits.

The overage syndrome, however, is not new in this continent. Parents, coaches, clubs, schools and even national associations have often resorted faking a player’s age because, previously, AFC had no option but to accept documents such as passports and birth certificates.

The skeletons started tumbling out of the teams’ closets since the year 2000 when the AFC introduced age detection methods in its age group competitions.

First it was an X-ray and now the introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine the accurate age of players has helped AFC to clamp down on this scourge.

Iraq, Tajikistan and DPR Korea lost their places in the continental event this despite making it from the qualifiers because they fielded overage players while Yemen’s dream of being part of FIFA U-17 World Cup next year in Nigeria was shattered after an MRI on their player Wesam Saleh Ahmed Al Worafi concurred that he was over the age of 16 years.

Following an X-ray examination, 16 players from four countries (Iran - 5, Oman - 6, Thailand - 2 and Bangladesh - 3) were banned from international football for two years and the teams involved, as well as Nepal, were banned from the 2002 edition of the competition for fielding overage players in 2000 AFC U-16 Championship.

Eight players from Pakistan and four from Yemen were found out to be overage in the 2002 edition.

AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam has repeatedly called for an end to overage players and believes the appliance of science will play its part in ensuring “honour” remains at age group level.

“Those member associations who field overage players do not care about the preparation of the team as they only want to bring in players that would help them win or at least not lose too badly.

“In sport we have to compete with honour and we must respect ourselves. With the support of FIFA, we have introduced the MRI test to prove the age of players,” he said earlier this year.

FIFA Sports Medicine Committee Chairman Dr. Michel D’Hooghe had said: “We cannot accept any more cases of overage players in Under 17 or other competitions and the MRI scan should be our solution.”

Fielding overage players also has a ripple effect on all age groups, hindering the growth of genuine players who are unable to compete physically with the ’older’ players.

Though it may achieve short-term success -- if undetected -- using overage players will decay the roots of development because long-term success depends on paying more attention to grassroots.