AIFF announces Rs. A cash reward of Rs 22 lakh for the U17 women’s team for qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday announced a cash reward of nearly Rs. 22 lakh, or $25,000, for the India U17 women’s team for qualifying for the AFC U17 Asian Cup last week.

India defeated Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in the Group G matches in Bishkek to finish with six points and qualify for the AFC tournament in China next year, the first ever continental qualification. India had last participated in the U17 Women’s Asian Cup in 2005, but no qualifiers were held for the tournament.

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

The AIFF said the federation has made efforts to ensure the success of the U17 squad.

«The results come after careful planning by the federation which helped the India U17 women put up impressive performances in the two matches. The Young Tigresses had played as the Indian Arrows Women Juniors last season and had gained valuable experience in the IWL 2 playing against older opponents,» the release said.

The statement added that the federation sought to strengthen the sport at grassroots level and have a more robust youth structure in women’s football.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published on October 21, 2025