New Delhi, April 22: India was on Wednesday included among 12 countries selected by world football governing body FIFA for its Women’s Development Programme.
The other countries are Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Finland, Ghana, Jordan, Lithuania, and Paraguay.
India’s inclusion in the programme was confirmed by FIFA after an initial application by All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was followed by a detailed presentation of the commercial strategy and future plans. The programme will be held online from May to October 2026, the AIFF said. The course itself will be tailored by FIFA for the various stakeholders in women’s football across the country.
“With AIFF now backed by a commercial partner, this programme will equip clubs with the tools and knowledge needed to build sustainable models, while also preparing them for the upcoming women’s club licensing system that AFC (Asian Football Confederation) plans to introduce,” the AIFF said in a release.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said, “This is the perfect time for us to grow the commercial aspect of women’s football in India as a whole. The qualification of three of our women’s teams (senior, U-20, and U-17) for the AFC Asian Cups in their respective age categories shows our potential, and the ASMITA U-13 Women’s Football League has helped us create the base at the youth level.
“Now that the clubs will receive this kind of capacity building on developing commercial strategies, securing sponsorships, engaging fans, and much more, the whole ecosystem will benefit,” he said.
“I think the initiative by FIFA is excellent, and we are glad to have been selected for it. We hope that the clubs and stakeholders in women’s football will benefit from this, especially with IWL clubs coming under club licensing requirements very soon, as set by the AFC.” (PTI)
