New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have announced a reward of USD 50,000 for the Senior Indian Women’s National Team (WNT) following their outstanding performance in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers held in Thailand.

The Blue Tigresses delivered a flawless campaign — winning all four matches in convincing fashion. India recorded emphatic victories over Mongolia (13-0), Timor-Leste (4-0), and Iraq (5-0), before capping off the group stage with a crucial 2-1 win against higher-ranked hosts Thailand.

In recent years, the AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the grassroots and youth structures 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.

As a result of such efforts, the number of registered women footballers in India has seen a 232% increase over the past year, as per 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, during which the squad not only engaged in local practice matches in Bengaluru but also competed in two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies against Uzbekistan, who also qualified for the continental tournament.

–IANS

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