AIFF Announces $25,000 Reward For U-20 Women’s Team After Historic AFC Asian Cup Qualification

Last Updated:August 10, 2025, 21:41 IST

The AIFF announced a $25,000 incentive for the Indian U-20 women's team after they qualified for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup, topping Group D unbeaten.

Indian U20 Women's Football Team (Credit: AIFF)

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday announced a cash incentive of USD 25,000 for the Indian U-20 women’s team following their qualification for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time since 2006.

The Young Tigresses sealed top spot in Group D with seven points, wrapping up their qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over hosts Myanmar in Yangon. Midfielder Pooja scored the decisive goal in the 27th minute, initiating a counter-attack before finishing the move herself.

Dominant and Unbeaten Campaign

India’s qualification run was marked by defensive solidity and attacking flair. The team began with a goalless draw against Indonesia, followed by a commanding 7-0 win over Turkmenistan, before edging past Myanmar. Remarkably, they remained unbeaten and did not concede a single goal in the qualifiers.

The AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup will be held in Thailand in April 2026, bringing together the continent’s best youth teams.

Preparation and Development Pathway

The AIFF credited the achievement to “sustained planning and developmental efforts over the past few years" in partnership with the Sports Authority of India. The U-20 squad has been in camp since December 2024, spending 135 days together in preparation.

Their build-up included participation in the Pink Ladies Youth Cup in Turkey, where they beat Hong Kong and Jordan, as well as training stints with the senior national team. They also played two friendlies against Uzbekistan U-20s in Tashkent, drawing 1-1 and winning 4-1.

The AIFF also highlighted the role of the ASMITA Women’s Football Leagues in boosting grassroots participation, citing a “232% increase" in registered women footballers over the past year. The 2025-26 season has already begun with the U-13 ASMITA Football Leagues, featuring 50 tournaments across 26 states, involving around 8,000 players from 400 teams.

(with PTI inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

First Published:

August 10, 2025, 21:41 IST

News sports » football AIFF Announces $25,000 Reward For U-20 Women’s Team After Historic AFC Asian Cup Qualification

Read More