Pakistan withdraw from Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers

KARACHI: Pakistan have withdrawn from the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifying rounds scheduled for next month due to financial constraints, sources said.

The Group B matches, which included Pakistan, were slated to be held in Indonesia. Pakistan was set to compete against Indonesia, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Hong Kong beginning Jan. 15. However, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) failed to secure the necessary funding, resulting in the team’s removal from the official draw.

In June 2024, the PFF had announced that the Pakistan Women’s Futsal team would participate in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers. This would have been the first top-tier futsal competition for Pakistan’s women’s team.

The PFF sought financial assistance from FIFA for the event, but no response was received, sources said, depriving Pakistani players of the opportunity to compete on an elite stage.

The funding shortfall has also raised doubts about Pakistan’s participation in the AFC Men’s Asian Cup qualifying rounds, set to begin in March. Without financial support by Jan. 20, Pakistan’s participation in the men’s qualifiers could also be in jeopardy, according to sources. The PFF has not issued an official statement on the withdrawals.