The Collapse of Indian Arrows Women: A Deepening Crisis in AIFF’s Governance and Development Pathway

The abrupt withdrawal of the Indian Arrows Women Juniors from the 2024–25 Indian Women’s League 2 is more than just a scheduling issue or financial adjustment it is a defining symptom of the structural and administrative breakdown inside the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

What should have been a stable, long-term developmental project for Indian women’s football has instead become the latest casualty of chronic mismanagement, financial fragility, and confused priorities within the federation. 

A Project Built for Development, Undone by Governance Failure

The Arrows program established to provide elite match exposure for India’s U17 and U20 women was never meant to be expendable. Its purpose was clear: prepare a young core for continental competitions and future senior national team duties. Yet, despite demonstrating significant success, the project collapsed under the weight of the federation’s administrative shortcomings.

The attached report states plainly that the withdrawal “marks not a strategic realignment but an operational casualty stemming from systemic administrative decay.” The federation’s inability to even manage routine logistics such as documentation and scheduling reveals deeper structural issues that go well beyond this single decision. 

The women’s Arrows team was not struggling; it was flourishing. Under Swedish coach Joakim Alexandersson, the squad contributed significantly to India’s youth football revival, helping the country secure historic qualifications for the AFC U17 and U20 Women’s Asian Cups. The 26-member roster, averaging just 15 years of age, gained invaluable experience by competing against senior opponents in IWL 2 precisely the kind of exposure required for continental readiness.

Ending the program not only contradicts its recent achievements but also damages India’s preparation cycle for the SAFF U17 Championship (September 2025) and AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers (October 2025). As the document notes, India has “immediately compromised the critical preparation cycle required for upcoming continental tournaments.” 

AIFF’s Broken Development Model: A Pattern of Repeated Failures

The Arrows collapse is not unprecedented it is the third time AIFF has discontinued its centralized developmental team model. The men’s Arrows folded in 2013 and again in 2022 due to financial and licensing failures. The latest shutdown underscores a recurring flaw: the federation is simply not equipped to operate centrally controlled teams over the long term.

The Financial Lens: Priorities That Undermine Growth

A central theme in the document is the deep imbalance in AIFF’s budget priorities, which border on alarming.

• AIFF’s Media & PR budget: ₹2.0 crore
• AIFF’s direct investment in women’s national teams: ₹2.74 crore

The fact that the federation allocates nearly as much money to PR as to the entire women’s football structure reflects a startling misalignment of priorities. Meanwhile, the men’s national teams receive nearly double the allocation of the women’s teams, further widened by additional SAI support. 

When financial distress struck compounded by the revelation that the ISL commercial tender drew zero bids the Arrows became an easy cost-cutting target.

Player Impact: A Generation Left Disoriented

For the 26 young players involved, the consequences are immediate and damaging:

• Loss of continuous elite match exposure
• Disruption of tactical development under Alexandersson
• Reduced opportunities for objective performance assessment
• Risk of being scattered across unstable IWL 2 clubs

The psychological impact is equally concerning. With no formal transition plan announced, young athletes are left uncertain about their career paths mirroring the aftermath of the men’s Arrows collapse in 2013, when AIFF at least absorbed players into the U23 structure. This time, even that safety net is missing. 

IWL Cannot Absorb the Shock, because It Isn’t Ready

While critics argue that Arrows funds should instead strengthen the Indian Women’s League, the reality is that the league itself is not yet stable. The document highlights a striking example: the crisis involving City Bahadurgarh FC, where 12 players left mid-season due to scheduling clashes with the Haryana State Championship. Such incidents reveal a league still struggling with basic operational coherence. 

Without proper calendars, contracts, or oversight, expecting the IWL to seamlessly absorb the Arrows players is unrealistic.

What Global Models Show and What India Must Learn

Japan’s Nadeshiko Vision and South Korea’s W-Project demonstrate how elite women’s football development thrives through:

• Strong domestic leagues
• Grassroots-to-pro pathways
• Long-term financial stability
• Club-driven talent pipelines

India’s centralized Arrows model stands in contrast a fragile, expensive, federation-dependent system where one administrative failure jeopardizes an entire generation. The document’s comparison table shows clearly how India lags behind Asian peers on structural, budgetary, and regulatory fronts. 

A Way Forward: Becoming a Regulator, Not a Club Owner

1. Independent fiscal audits to restore transparency
2. Redirect PR spending into development budgets
3. Professionalize IWL & IWL 2 with stricter licensing
4. Mandate youth quotas to force clubs to absorb talent
5. Support Arrows players by subsidizing their contracts at IWL clubs
6. Limit centralized camps to FIFA windows while clubs handle development

This approach aligns with global standards and removes AIFF from a role it has repeatedly failed to execute.

The collapse of the Indian Arrows Women Juniors is not an isolated incident it is a reflection of deeper structural fractures in Indian football governance. Until AIFF shifts from operating teams to regulating a strong, club-based development ecosystem, such setbacks will continue to derail India’s long-term ambitions in women’s football.