AIFF announce big cash reward after India qualify for U-20 Women's Asian Cup for the first time in two decades

For the first time in two decades, the India U-20 women's team has managed to secure a qualification for the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup. The side achieved the feat after defeating hosts Myanmar 1-0 in their final Group D encounter at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon. With this result, the Young Tigresses finished at the top of their group with seven points. It was Pooja who registered the lone goal for India. AIFF announced a big cash reward after India qualified for the U-20 Women's Asian Cup(Indian Football Team - X)

After this result, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a reward of USD 25,000 (INR 22 lakh) for the U20 women's team. It must be mentioned that India had last qualified for the tournament way back in 2006.

In the Group D qualification campaign, India came up with some astonishing results, where they squared off against Indonesia (0-0) and Turkmenistan (7-0). It all came to a conclusion with the side defeating hosts Myanmar (1-0) in front of a capacity crowd at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

In the entire campaign, India did not concede a single goal.

"The results on the pitch, however, are a direct outcome of the hard yards put in behind the scenes with sustained planning and developmental efforts over the past few years. With no shortcuts taken, India’s qualification for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup was a direct culmination of the long-term vision and structured preparation put in place at the grassroots level," the AIFF said in an official release.

"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," the release added.

The AIFF also confirmed that the U20 team have been in camp since December 2024. The side first played the Pink Ladies Youth Cup in Türkiye, defeating teams like Hong Kong and Jordan.

"The AIFF remains fully committed to ensuring the best possible preparation for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Thailand in April 2026. The Federation will work closely with all stakeholders to facilitate extended training camps and secure high-quality international exposure for the team," the federation stated.

“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,” it concluded.

Click here to read article