The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced significant budget cuts for the I-League and grassroots development programs. This decision is a part of AIFF’s financial strategy for the fiscal year 2024-25.
Budget cuts from AIFF
The AIFF has slashed nearly ₹20 crore from its competition’s budget, reducing it from ₹62.25 crore in 2023-24 to ₹42.84 crore for 2024-25. The I-League’s first division will face a significant hit with expenditure cut by ₹4.02 crore, from ₹14.20 to ₹10.18 crore. This reduction in funding is expected to impact the league’s operations and potentially the quality of competition.
In addition to the I-League, there will be reduced spending on all AIFF tournaments, except for the Santosh Trophy and the age-specific Khelo India girls’ leagues. The I-League second division has seen a budget cut from ₹3.26 crore to ₹1.69 crore. The budget for international friendlies has also been reduced from ₹4.50 crore to just ₹1 crore.
The budget cuts extend to the grassroots development and courses, with the allocation reduced from ₹1 crore to ₹22 lakh. This could potentially hamper the growth and development of young talents at the grassroots level.
Despite these cuts, the total spend on the men’s national team remains almost the same, with a slight increase from ₹21.50 crore in 2023-24 to ₹21.51 crore this year. However, no funds have been earmarked for the men’s under-23 team, and the budgets for the under-20 and under-17 teams have been slashed.
Interestingly, the budget for the senior women’s team will see a nearly three-fold increase, from ₹3 crore to ₹8.27 crore. This indicates a positive shift towards promoting women’s football in the country.
The AIFF’s projected income for 2024-25 is ₹121.38 crore, down by nearly ₹11 crore from 2023-24. This reduction in income, coupled with the aim to present a budget with a surplus of ₹30 lakh, has necessitated the budget cuts.
While the AIFF’s budget cuts are a cause for concern for the I-League and grassroots development, they also reflect the financial realities faced by the federation. The impact of these cuts on the future of Indian football remains to be seen.
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