Last Updated:
Pakistan women’s football team withdraws from SAFF Women’s Championship in India amidst political tensions, tournament to proceed with six South Asian teams.
Pakistan women’s football team will not take part in the SAFF Championship (Picture credit: X @TheRealPFF)
The Pakistan women’s football team has pulled out of the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship that was all set to be played in India, due to the continued political standoff between the two countries, according to a report in The Times of India. The tournament will now be played between six teams.
The South Asian Football Confederation had earlier stated that all seven member associations would take part, positioning the tournament as one of the region’s premier women’s football events.
But according to the report, Pakistan are yet to confirm their participation, even a week after the March 30 deadline passed.
“Pakistan will not participate. There is no official confirmation yet, but the deadline that was provided to them for confirmation has already passed. It looks like the (Pak) govt does not want the team to travel to India,” a senior official said while speaking to The Times of India.
The SAFF Women’s Championship is scheduled to take place in Goa from May 25 to Sunday, June 7.
India-Pakistan sporting ties have long been strained, with cricket encounters turning frosty, teams even skipping handshakes at times. The tension was evident at the T20 World Cup too, where Pakistan were locked in a 10-day standoff with the ICC over a high-profile group-stage clash against India in Colombo.
The SAFF Championship will now feature six teams, including India and Bangladesh, both of whom competed in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Down Under.
Nepal came close to qualifying but fell short in a penalty shootout against Uzbekistan, who went on to reach the quarterfinals of the continental tournament.
Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan are the other member associations to have confirmed their participation.
India are the most successful team in SAFF Women’s Championship history with five titles, while Bangladesh have emerged as the dominant force, winning the last two editions in 2022 and 2024, including a 2-1 win against Nepal in the final at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.
April 06, 2026, 07:43 IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
