Pakistan Pulls Out of 2026 SAFF Women’s Championship Amid India Tensions

Lahore — Pakistan has officially withdrawn from the 2026 SAFF Women’s Championship, citing ongoing political tensions with India, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed on Thursday.

The decision means the tournament, scheduled from May 25 to June 6 at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, will now proceed with six teams instead of seven.

This will be the second time India hosts the SAFF Women’s Championship, having previously staged it in 2016 in Siliguri, where the hosts clinched their fourth title. Goa, too, has prior experience of hosting a SAFF event, with the 1999 men’s championship held at the same venue.

Following Pakistan’s exit, organisers have finalised a six-team format. The remaining sides — India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives — have been split into two groups after the official draw held at the SAFF Secretariat in Dhaka.

Pakistan’s withdrawal is a setback for its women’s football team, which has been striving to rebuild after years of administrative challenges and limited international exposure. The tournament was seen as a key opportunity for the side to gain competitive experience, but geopolitical tensions have once again disrupted regional sporting participation.

This is not the first such instance. Pakistan had earlier skipped the men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in Tamil Nadu last November and also did not participate in the Asia Cup held in Rajgir.

India remains the most successful team in the SAFF Women’s Championship, with five titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019), while Bangladesh enter the tournament as back-to-back champions, having won in 2022 and 2024.

With inputs from IANS