I-League set for him as AIFF cuts ₹20 crore from competition budget

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently presented its 2024-25 fiscal year budget at its annual general meeting. While the budget shows a projected surplus of ₹30 lakh, a closer look reveals a more nuanced picture. 

• Surplus Achieved: The budget boasts a ₹30 lakh surplus, a welcome change from the projected deficit of around ₹2 crore last year. However, this is achieved through significant cost-cutting measures.

• Reduced Income: The overall projected income for AIFF is down by nearly ₹11 crore compared to 2023-24. This can be attributed, in part, to a reduction in government grants by ₹9 crore.

Tournament Expenditure Slashed

• Overall Cut: AIFF slashed nearly ₹20 crore from its competition budget, bringing it down from ₹62.25 crore in 2023-24 to ₹42.84 crore in 2024-25.

• I-League Hit: The I-League’s first division will take a significant hit with a budget reduction of ₹4.02 crore, from ₹14.20 crore to ₹10.18 crore.

National Teams: A Mixed Bag

• Men’s Team: The total spending on the senior men’s national team remains almost the same at ₹21.5 crore. However, there’s an increased allocation of ₹1.33 crore for preparatory camps and tournaments.

• Youth Teams: The budget for the U-23 men’s team has been scrapped altogether, while the U-20 and U-17 teams have faced budget cuts. Notably, the U-17 team’s budget has been reduced from ₹4.42 crore to ₹2.11 crore despite being in the year of the Asian U-17 qualifiers.

• Women’s Teams: A positive development is the nearly three-fold increase in the budget for camps and tournaments for the senior women’s team, from ₹3 crore to ₹8.27 crore. However, the U-20 and U-17 women’s national teams will see spending reductions.

• Staff Salaries: Salaries for the men’s team staff have increased from ₹8.90 crore to ₹11.21 crore, while the budget for the women’s team staff has been cut from ₹3 crore to ₹1.82 crore. This raises concerns about pay parity and investment in women’s football development.

Other Budgetary Notes

• Increased Grants: There’s some positive news with increased grants from FIFA (₹21.16 crore from ₹16.21 crore) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) (₹10.91 crore from ₹9.10 crore).

• Administrative Expenses Up: Despite cuts in most areas, general administration will see an increased allocation of ₹77 lakh, from ₹7.73 crore to ₹8.50 crore. The legal and compliance budget has also increased from ₹1.20 crore to ₹1.80 crore.

• Marketing and Communications: The budget allocated to business and marketing has been reduced from ₹4.85 crore to ₹2.74 crore. However, the sub-head for “media, communications, and PR” will see an increase of ₹99 lakh, to ₹2.49 crore from ₹1.50 crore. This suggests focusing on improving external communication even with a reduced overall marketing budget.
  

  

The AIFF Executive Committee meeting and AGM held recently in Itanagar discussed the budget in detail. While the specific details haven’t been publicly released, further adjustments or clarifications might have been made after the initial presentation. There’s ongoing debate about the budget cuts, particularly the impact on the I-League and youth development programs. The AIFF might face pressure to address these concerns in the coming months.

The AIFF’s budget for 2024-25 reflects a pragmatic approach to financial management. While it prioritizes achieving a surplus, significant cuts across crucial development areas raise concerns. Balancing short-term financial stability with long-term development goals remains a challenge for the AIFF.