SAFF U-17 Championship cancelled due to financial constraints
29 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | ހޮނިހިރު 10:09The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has decided to cancel this year's SAFF U-17 Championship due to financial constraints and a transition in its marketing partnership. This decision deprives regional youth teams of a crucial competitive platform ahead of the AFC qualifiers, though SAFF has since signed a new agreement with a Bangladeshi firm in an effort to stabilize its financial position.
Maldives was set to compete in the 2025 SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka. | FAM
The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) on Friday decided to cancel this year’s SAFF U-17 Men’s and Women’s Championships due to financial constraints. This decision results in the loss of a vital opportunity for the region's youth teams to prepare ahead of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers.
SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel stated that the decision was necessitated by financial constraints and a change in the federation's marketing partner. "Due to financial reasons, we were unable to organize the tournament this time. The change in our marketing partner also presented a challenge. Although this competition is vital for the development of football, we are working towards resuming it in the future," Kattel said.
The tournament logo was unveiled as "Techno" during a ceremony held following the World Cup. According to Kattel, a Bangladeshi company called TSA has secured the SAFF rights within Bangladesh. He further noted that the company will also serve as the marketing partner.
"The rights for SAFF in Bangladesh have been acquired by TSA, the tournament's marketing partner. The company will manage sponsorships and other commercial aspects of the competition. Furthermore, we will receive financial assistance from them," Kattel stated.
Reports indicate that SAFF faced significant challenges in recovering the funds owed following the 2021 SAFF Championship held in the Maldives. Consequently, the actual financial benefits of the agreement with TSA remain to be seen. While TSA has previously managed the Bangladesh Women's Football League, questions were raised within the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) regarding the tournament's branding and associated expenditures.
The draw for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers was held on Thursday, with the qualifying matches scheduled to take place across seven Asian countries this coming November. Furthermore, it has been noted that SAFF incurred significant expenditures over the past year related to constitutional amendments, the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and various Executive Committee meetings.
