Disgraced former president of All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) Ganesh Thapa said that it would be unfortunate for overall football if Karma Tsering Sherpa, one of the two presidential candidates, wins the election of the football governing body to be held on March 28.

Thapa, banned for 10 years from all football activities by international football governing body Fifa in charge of financial irregularities in November 2015, made such remarks at a press conference to launch the Nepal Sports Organisation (NSO) on Monday. “Anfa will become a sister organisation of political party if Sherpa wins the election,” said Thapa after being quizzed if he was the unseen force blamed by the Sherpa faction as the major hurdle for development of Nepali football. Thapa was speaking about football in an act considered to influence the impending election of football governing body.

Sherpa and Mani Kunwar, the senior vice president of Anfa and a brother-in-law to Thapa, are vying for the top Anfa post. Sherpa, who was also a vice president under Ganesh Thapa’s tenure, had led the campaign to raise voice against Thapa, who remained at the helm of football governing body for almost two decades. Kunwar is backed by current president Narendra Shrestha and is believed to be close aide of Thapa. Sherpa is a Nepali Congress cadre and most of the candidates from his faction are close to the party.

The Sherpa faction is presenting itself as symbol of change at Anfa and blamed Thapa of playing ‘foul’ and influencing power centres to favour Kunwar faction. Speaking about NSO ad hoc committee which he himself heads, Thapa said that the organisation will pick talented players from several sports discipline and train them. “We will identify hidden talents and shape them into gold medal-winning prospect at the South Asian level,” said Thapa adding that the committee will get full shape within three months. He also plans to organise a professional badminton tournament within the next three months.