AIFF Announces USD 25000 Reward For India U-17 Women After AFC Cup Qualification

Last Updated:October 21, 2025, 17:42 IST

All India Football Federation rewards India U17 women's team with USD 25000 for qualifying for the AFC U17 Asian Cup after wins over Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

India U17 women's football team (AIFF)

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Tuesday a reward of USD 25,000 for the India U17 women’s team following their maiden entry into the AFC U17 Asian Cup.

India secured victories against Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, both with a score of 2-1, last week in Bishkek. These wins allowed them to top Group G with six points and qualify for the prestigious AFC tournament in China next year, marking their first-ever continental qualification in this age group.

“The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is pleased to announce a reward of USD 25,000 for the India U17 women’s national team after its extraordinary performance that saw it secure qualification for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time," the country’s football governing body said in a release.

India last participated in the U17 Women’s Asian Cup in 2005, but no qualifiers were held for that tournament.

ASMITA Women’s Football Leagues

AIFF highlighted the significant effort put in by the federation to ensure the success of the U17 side.

“The results come after careful planning from the federation that helped the India U17 women put in commanding performances in the two matches. The Young Tigresses had, last season, played as the Indian Arrows Women Juniors, gaining valuable experience in the IWL 2 playing against senior opponents," the release stated.

The federation is focused on strengthening the sport at the grassroots level and developing a more robust youth structure in women’s football.

“One such initiative is the ASMITA Women’s Football Leagues, which witnessed the successful conduct of 155 leagues across the country from 2023 to 2025 at the U13, U15, and U17 levels.

“The 2023-24 edition saw participation from 6,305 junior players, a number that rose to 8,658 in 2024-25. The ASMITA Football Leagues continue in the 2025-26 season as well, with the U13 ASMITA Football Leagues 2025-26, which began last month."

The U13 leagues will feature 50 tournaments across as many venues, with around 8,000 players and 400 teams competing across 26 states.

“As a result of such efforts, the number of registered women footballers in India has increased to 37,829 in 2025, from 8,683 in 2020," the release stated.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

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