Players of the Chinese women's national soccer team huddle together and celebrate their victory against their South Korean opponents during the AFC Women's Asia Cup India 2022 final match in Navi Mumbai on February 6, 2022, to become Asian champions. Photo: VCG

Chinese women's national soccer team is expected to receive up to 30 million yuan in prize money ($4.7 million) after snatching AFC Women's Asian Cup on Sunday with a miraculous comeback from two goals behind. More prizes are expected to pour in for the women champions amidst Chinese fans' frenzied celebrations. 

In the early hours of Monday, Alipay, the mobile and online payment service of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, said on its official Weibo account that it has arranged the promised prize money for the women champions. 

According to the Weibo post, Alipay will shower the team with a bonus of 13 million yuan, of which 10 million yuan will go to the players and 3 million yuan to the coaches. 

Alipay said the bonus is part of the company's "10-year-1-billion plan" to support women's soccer in China. The campaign started in 2019.

"Thank you for all the joy and emotions you have brought to us, you deserve the applause and awards," Alipay said. 

The ovation is echoed by Chinese soccer fans. Since the end of the game, held in India, many netizens have left messages on Weibo saying that they hope the China women's soccer team ought to be awarded.

"Please pay bonuses to women's soccer team at double the rate of the men's soccer team!" Huang Jianxiang, a famous Chinese soccer commentator, said on his Weibo account Sunday night. 

According to media reports, the Chinese men's soccer team will be awarded more than 6 million yuan for a single match won in the Asian Qualifying Tournament. However, the bonus does not seem to have boosted their morale as the team has won only one match out of the eight it has played. 

As of noon Monday, the women's team collected about 30 million yuan in prize money, including 6 million yuan for the tournament championship and 10 million yuan in prize money offered by Mengniu Dairy, the women team's official sponsor.

According to Chinese media reports, the Chinese women's soccer team will also receive a bonus from the Chinese Football Association, which may surpass 10 million yuan.

Historically, Chinese women's soccer team has been a global power, which has won the Women's Asian Cup nine times, was runner-up in the Women's World Cup tournament in 1999 and won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. But the team has been a bit quiet in recent years, with 16 years passed since it last won a major trophy.

Global Times