The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added another feather to its cap.

In a landmark decision, the BCCI on Thursday endorsed a sum of Rs 25 crore to All Indian Football Federation's (AIFF) for its national team's 2011 Asian Cup preparations.

Earlier, AIFF had asked the Indian cricket board for financial aid for the 2011 Asian Cup preparations.

The Indian football team in 2008 had qualified for the January 2011 Asian Cup in Doha.

In recent times, union sports minister M S Gill had also sanctioned a sum of Rs 10 crore for the Indian football team's Asian Games preparations.

Moreover, the ministry had also decided to bear a part of the cost for the 'Goal 2011 Project'.

However, AIFF acting president Praful Patel declined that he had ever asked former Indian Cricket Board chief and his party chief Sharad Pawar for financial help from the BCCI for the national football team's preparations for the 2011 Asian Cup.

Notably, the Indian cricket board is the richest board in the world and it is not for the first time that BCCI is helping any other sports organization in the country.

In 2006, BCCI had supported five Olympic disciplines through the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and the Ministry of Sports (MOS) and the Income and Expenditure account of 2007-08 shows a contribution of Rs. 15 crore towards the NSDF. The Board made an additional contribution of Rs. 35 crore in the next fiscal to fulfill its commitment.