The Indian cricket board has allotted 250 million rupees ($5.2 million) to the fund-starved national football federation for preparing the team for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision-making working committee decided to give the amount over the next two years, it said in a release.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had sought a one-time assistance from the cricket board for its "Goal 2011" project, seen as vital to lift the fortunes of the former Asian Games winners who are currently ranked joint 156th in the world.

The AIFF plans to keep 25 players exclusively on national duty from nine months before the Asian Cup.

The Indian national team recently trained at Barcelona's Nou Camp to make use of the world-class facilities unavailable at home.

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