Sports
League to resume in September
The long-stalled Martyrs Memorial League football is finally set to resume on September 29.The long-stalled Martyrs Memorial League football is finally set to resume on September 29.
The All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) League Committee on Wednesday set the kick off date for the four-month l ong league football. Former Nepali international Bigyan Raj Sharma, who was tasked with deciding on the details of the league since named as coordination of the committee by the newly elected Anfa executive committee on May 5. The league has been stalled for the last three seasons due to internal Anfa wrangling and power struggle between the now elected president Karma Tsering Sherpa and former head Ganesh Thapa, who was banned by Fifa for 10 on corruption charges.
The joint meeting of the ‘A’ Division teams and League Committee on Monday took the decision of the 14-team league.
“We will disclose in detail about the league within a week after finalising all necessary technical aspects,” said Anfa president Sherpa. The last top-tier football was held under Red Bull National League during 2014-15. Since then Anfa had failed to organise the league on various pretext including 2015 earthquake. The April 25 earthquake had severely damaged the Dasharath Stadium, which is still under renovations.
Following the earthquake, the league resumed in September eventually crowning Three Star Club of Lalitpur as champions. Since then Anfa had failed to hold football league. The 2014-15 league had nine teams including five among top eight teams of the previous season’s Martyrs Memorial League and four others teams district associations—Jhapa XI, Morang XI, Rupandehi XI and Farwest XI. Three Star Club, Manang Marshyangdi Club, Tribhuvan Army Club, Nepal Police Club and Tribhuvan Army Club were the other teams in the league.
The upcoming league will have all 14 ‘A’ Division teams, according to the Anfa. However, the football governing body has left out four district based teams that played in the last National League. Jhapa XI have remarkably finished fourth in the event.
Now the league feature Three Star Club, Manang Marshyangdi Club, Nepal Police Club, Nepal Armed Police Force Club, Nepal Army Club, Jawalakhel Youth Club, Friends’ Club, Sankata Club, Machhindra Club, Saraswati Youth Club, Chyasal Youth Club, New Road Team, Brigade Boys and Himalayan Sherpa Club.
The League Committee has also decided to permit registration of maximum of 35 players and a minimum of 18 players for each of the participating teams. Also, a club will be allowed to register four foreign players and can field three of them in a time. The 84-day player registration will begin from August 31.