Pakistan 'withdraw' from AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup qualifying rounds

KARACHI: Pakistan have withdrawn from the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup qualifying rounds scheduled for next month due to financial constraints, sources said on Tuesday.

The Group B matches, which included Pakistan, were set to be held in Indonesia. However, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) decided to pull out of the event after failing to secure the necessary funds.

Pakistan were scheduled to play against hosts Indonesia, India, Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong from January 15, 2025. However, they're now removed from the official draw.

Earlier, in June 2024, the PFF had announced the participation of the Pakistan Women's Futsal team in the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup 2025.

This would've been the first ever top futsal competition for Pakistan women's team.

However, the lack of response from FIFA on PFF's request for funds has deprived Pakistani players of this experience of playing at top level.

According to the sources, the PFF had requested financial support from FIFA to participate in the tournament but did not receive a response.

The lack of funding has also raised concerns about Pakistan's participation in the AFC Men's Asian Cup qualifying rounds.

If financial support is not secured by January 20, the team may face difficulties in competing in the qualifiers set to begin in March next year, the sources added.

The PFF has yet to comment publicly on the matter.