The extraordinary congress of All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) on Monday made 38-point amendments to 20 different articles in its statute. 

Among them relaxing the provision for the aspiring presidential candidates was a major decision. “Anyone actively involved in football for two years in the last five years will be eligible to contest in any post at the Anfa elections,” said Anfa President Narendra Shrestha after the conclusion of the congress. “The candidate needs to be proposed and backed by one member each to contest in Anfa election.” 

The previous statute required the presidential candidate to be proposed and backed by five members of the electoral congress. In addition to that, the presidential candidate had to be member of the congress besides holding the portfolio in district association of Anfa or in the ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ division club’s executive body. “The amendment was on par with the Fifa guidelines with the view to make national football associations more transparent,” Shrestha added. 

The Congress also increased voting rights to ‘B’ and ‘C’ division clubs. The second tier club will have nine votes and third tier will have five as compared to five and three in the existing statute. The new provision means Anfa will have a total of 77 voters in elections—one each from 45 district associations, one each from 14 ‘A’ division clubs, 14 collectively from ‘B’ and ‘C’ division clubs and one each from women, referee, coach and players’ association. 

The football governing body will now have powerful autonomous ethics and appeal committees. The committees will be formed by Anfa executive body. But two committees can’t be removed by the body which appoints them with Annual General Assembly, the only authority capable of dismantling them.   

The Anfa congress rejected the executive committee proposal to remove a “permanent status” of the women’s football committee. The congress also rejected executive body’s proposal to trim the number of district association’s representatives from three to two for Anfa congress. The congress also decided to convert the domestic football structure into federal one. “Anfa will form seven provincial football associations once the federal system is implemented in the country. Until then there will be existence of 45 district associations in the country,” Shrestha said.  

The proposed ‘A’ division league, scheduled to begin on November 30, is likely to be postponed owing to Anfa elections scheduled for January 7. Earlier, Anfa had decided to hold the league, stalled for the last four years, in November featuring 16 teams. “The start of the League may be delayed due to elections and other internal Anfa issues,” said Anfa president Shrestha. 

Three Star compensation endorsed 

The extraordinary congress of the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) on Monday endorsed the football governing body’s proposal to pay Rs 15 million as compensation to Three Star Club. 

The top-tier Lalitpur-based outfits were deprived of their rights to take part in the playoff round of the AFC Cup in January-February this year thanks to an utter negligence of the football governing body of Nepal. Despite repeated calls from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to register the team for the event, Anfa failed to do so even after being granted an extension in November last year. Three Star had earned their way to the playoff after finishing top of their group in the Qualifiers in Mongolia last year.

Ever since the club have been boycotting all football activities demanding Rs 60 million in compensation. Three Star said they had already invested millions of rupees while competing in the qualifiers as well as during their preparations for the playoffs. According to Anfa President Narendra Shrestha, Three Star will get the compensation amount in maximum three instalments by Nove-mber 26.