Former All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) vice president Karma Tshering Sherpa on Saturday announced his candidacy for president in the impending elections of the football governing body scheduled for March 28. 

Sherpa was lynchpin to a campaign that raised voice against long-serving president Ganesh Thapa and his working ways. The disgraced former president Thapa is under a 10-year Fifa suspension since November 2015 under charges of financial irregularities. Sherpa was beaten by Narendra Shrestha,  believed to have been backed by Thapa during the special general assembly held in October last year to fill the void left by the former president’s ban from all football related activities. 

The candidacy announcement saw a haul of heavyweights from Shrestha faction joining the Sherpa camp. Among others to attend the candidacy announcement ceremony and back Sherpa were vice president Bir Bahadur Khadka, chief executive Indraman Tuladhar, members Dinesh Byanjankar and Ratna Kumar Shrestha and assistant CEO Rajendra Neupane. Tuladhar had resigned from his post to contest the provincial elections from Nepali congress. Khadka informed that he has furnished his resignation from the post today (Saturday). All four were close aides of the current president and played a key role in his election victory. 

Representatives from district football associations, women’s commission, former national footballers, Anfa honorary president Tashi Ghale, former Nepal Police AIG Bigyan Raj Sharma, former national team captains Bal Gopal Maharjan, Upendra Man Singh and Rakesh Shrestha, and former national team coach Krishna Thapa, also a president candidate, have extended their support to Sherpa. In a display of power, a total of 40 persons were called to join the dais. 

President Shrestha is the only other serious candidate believed to run for the top post although he has not announced it officially. The date for filing the nominations has been fixed for March 13 to 18. Shrestha himself, senior vice president Mani Kunwar, members Ganesh Chand and Ramesh Rayamajhi are among other influential members remaining in the 17-member committee current executive body. 

Tuladhar, also the president of ‘A’ division outfit Sankata Club, proposed candidacy of Sherpa. “If we cannot take football to right track now, Nepali football will never change and progress. I was considering to file candidacy myself for the presidential post. But after discussion with those who have been seeking change, I have decided to propose Sherpa,” said Tuladhar.

“We had joined Anfa in 2010 (to join hands with Thapa) for betterment of the game after a revolt of three years. But there was no change. But the condition remains the same even under Shrestha because we know an unseen force has been playing its role from behind the curtain,” said Tuladhar referring to Thapa’s role. 

Sherpa said: “My candidacy is for the betterment of overall Nepali football – for the players, coaches, referees and all stakeholders. The election is between the agents of changes and those who do not want change,” he said. 

“In the past the relation between the president and others were like that of master and slaves. I can assure that there will be a collective leadership,” added Sherpa. He also said that the new leadership will give focus to grassroot development and set up academies in all provinces. 

The general assembly of Anfa has 77 votes including one each from 45 district associations and one each from 14 ‘A’ division clubs. The ‘B’ and ‘C’ division clubs will have nine and five votes while four committees – players, coaches, referee and women commission will have one vote each.