After India Book AFC Women's Asian Cup Spot, AIFF Announce USD 50,000 Reward

Last Updated:July 06, 2025, 20:47 IST

The AIFF awarded the Senior Indian Women's National Team USD 50,000 for their perfect performance in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, winning all four matches.

Indian women's football team qualify for AFC Women's Asian Cup (X/AIFF)

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced a reward of USD 50,000 for the Indian women’s football team following their remarkable performance in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers held in Thailand.

The Blue Tigresses had a flawless campaign, winning all four matches convincingly. India achieved emphatic victories over Mongolia (13-0), Timor-Leste (4-0), and Iraq (5-0), before securing a critical 2-1 win against the higher-ranked hosts Thailand.

How AIFF Helped India Women’s Football?

In recent years, the AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has launched several initiatives to strengthen grassroots and youth structures in women’s football. One such initiative is the ASMITA Women’s Football Leagues, successfully conducting 155 leagues nationwide from 2023 to 2025 at the U13, U15, and U17 levels. The 2023-24 edition saw participation from 6,305 junior players, increasing to 8,658 in 2024-25.

As a result of these efforts, the number of registered women footballers in India has increased by 232% over the past year, according to the AIFF.

“Looking ahead, the AIFF remains fully committed to ensuring the best possible preparation for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Australia in March 2026. The Federation will work closely with all stakeholders to facilitate extended training camps and secure high-quality international exposure for the team.

“The aim for the Federation is not only to make the players physically and mentally fit through training, but also to make them ready to rub shoulders against the best in Asia. Opportunities for the AIFF to arrange quality opponents to play preparatory matches are also being looked at," read the statement by the football governing body.

The team’s preparation for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers included a 53-day national camp, where the squad engaged in local practice matches in Bengaluru and competed in two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies against Uzbekistan, who also qualified for the continental tournament.

(With inputs from IANS)

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 on cricket content, ha...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 on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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