AIFF Announces $50,000 Reward for Indian Women's Football Team After Historic Asian Cup Qualification

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced a reward of USD 50,000 for the Indian Senior Women's National Football Team (WNT) in recognition of their remarkable achievement in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers held in Thailand.

The Blue Tigresses dominated the tournament, winning all four of their matches in impressive fashion. India secured commanding victories over Mongolia (13-0), Timor-Leste (4-0), and Iraq (5-0), before finishing the group stage with a crucial 2-1 win over the higher-ranked host nation, Thailand.

Over the past few years, the AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has launched various initiatives to promote women's football at the grassroots and youth levels. Among these is the ASMITA Women’s Football Leagues, which successfully conducted 155 leagues nationwide between 2023 and 2025 across the U13, U15, and U17 categories. The 2023–24 season saw participation from 6,305 young players, which increased to 8,658 in the 2024–25 edition.

According to AIFF, these efforts have contributed to a 232% surge in the number of registered women footballers in the country over the past year.

Looking ahead, the AIFF reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the best possible preparation for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, set to take place in Australia in March 2026.

"The Federation will work closely with all stakeholders to provide extended training camps and top-quality international exposure for the team. The aim is not just to enhance the players' physical and mental fitness, but to prepare them to compete with the best teams in Asia. The AIFF is also exploring opportunities to arrange competitive matches against strong international opponents," the federation stated.

The Indian team’s successful qualifying campaign was the result of meticulous preparation, which included a 53-day national camp. During this period, the squad participated in local matches in Bengaluru and played two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies against Uzbekistan, who also secured their place in the Asian Cup.

With inputs from IANS