A three-member team led by ANFA President Nemwang was on its way to Vancouver, Canada, to participate in the 76th FIFA Congress, which will be held from April 17, when it was blacklisted by immigration.
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The Immigration Department has blacklisted all the officials and employees of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). Those who have been blacklisted by the Immigration Department on the recommendation of the National Sports Council (NSC) are not allowed to travel abroad without the government's permission.
According to the department, ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang, Senior Vice President Bir Bahadur Khadka, Vice Presidents Deepak Khatiwada, Birat Jung Shahi, Dawa Lama and Dirgha Bahadur (Kumar) KC and General Secretary Kiran Rai have been blacklisted. Working Committee members Ramesh Byanjanakar, Mahendra Chhetri, Rabindra Chand, Anil Malla, Manish Joshi, Purushottam Thapa, Bhojraj Shahi, Bikash Narayan Shrestha, Tikaram Lama, Bharat Bahadur Budthapa, Maniraj Bista, Pema Dolma Lama, Sarila Shrestha Maleku and Rupesh Adhikari have been blacklisted.
ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Indraman Tuladhar are also on the immigration blacklist. The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that 22 people were blacklisted on Thursday and Friday. After being blacklisted by immigration, ANFA will not be able to represent the country at the 76th 'FIFA Congress' to be held in Vancouver, Canada from April 17. A three-member team led by ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang was preparing to go to Canada with one vote.
An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs informed that the ANFA officials and employees were included in the blacklist through immigration after the NSC recommended that they go abroad in their official capacity before the suspension. With their being blacklisted by immigration, the NSC-ANFA dispute has reached its peak. The NSC had already suspended ANFA for three months, citing reasons such as disobeying the NSC's instructions and trying to proceed with the election process without approval. After that, the NSC had postponed the general assembly.
The NSC had suspended ANFA on 11 Chaitra last month on charges of trying to hold ANFA elections against the decisions and instructions of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council, involving foreign players in the league through various football clubs without labor permits, and repeatedly disobeying the decisions of the Sports Council. After the NSC's suspension, the NSC had decided to postpone the predetermined election process on 12 Chaitra itself.
The ANFA elections were scheduled to be held in Jhapa on 13 Chaitra. The NSC-ANFA clash also involved a dispute related to the national football league. The Immigration Department had sought an explanation from ANFA on 5 Chaitra after it was found that football clubs had included foreign players in the league without obtaining labor permits from the Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and work consent from the Department of Immigration. The department had also warned ANFA that foreign players would be expelled if they were included in the league in violation of immigration laws.
During the immigration investigation, it was found that Jawalakhel Youth Club, Machhindra, Manang Marsyangdi, Church Boys, Satdobato Youth, Sankata and Bhagwati Club were playing foreign players without labor permits and work permits. The national league, which was suspended after the immigration warning, has not been able to resume. According to the Immigration Regulations 2051, foreign citizens who have entered for one purpose are not allowed to engage in other work. If they have to stay or work for another purpose, they must obtain permission from the Labor Department and work permits from the Immigration Department. If the provisions of the law are violated, there is a provision for such foreign citizens to be ‘deported’ (returned) to the respective country after collecting the prescribed fine.
After receiving a warning that the league would not be able to proceed without completing the process, ANFA officials had reached the department and discussed it. But ANFA itself was suspended on charges of disobeying the instructions of the NSC. A month after the suspension, on the recommendation of the NSC, the Immigration Department banned 24 people, including ANFA officials and employees, from traveling abroad.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have given an ‘ultimatum’ to the NSC to withdraw the decision to suspend ANFA. FIFA and the AFC have set a deadline of 21 Baisakh to reconsider the decision, saying that the NSC’s decision to suspend ANFA interfered with ANFA’s autonomy. They have also been interpreting the NSC’s decision to suspend ANFA as third-party interference. ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai and other officials had reached the NSC on Thursday to submit a letter containing the details of the AFC and FIFA decisions.
Meanwhile, the NSC is also investigating the financial irregularities in the ANFA. The NSC formed a committee led by executive committee member Kamal Bahadur Bhattarai last week to proceed with the investigation. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is also investigating the matter. When Kantipur tried to contact ANFA President Nembang and CEO Tuladhar regarding the immigration blacklist and the dispute with the NSC, their calls went unanswered.
