ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah said, ”The suspension on us has been lifted from today. This lifting is unconditional.” According to him, ANFA will now proceed with its regular process.
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The National Sports Council has finally lifted the suspension imposed on the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Friday. The council had suspended ANFA for three months on 11 Chaitra. At that time, the NSC had accused it of not following its instructions and not providing a satisfactory explanation and proceeding with the early election process without its approval.
But now, while lifting the suspension, ANFA claims that the council has not imposed any conditions. Therefore, Nepali football has once again reached the same situation where the founding party of ANFA wants to hold elections. ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah said, ‘From today, our suspension has been lifted. This release is unconditional.’ According to him, ANFA will now go through its regular process.
A meeting of the team including Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel was held on Friday to lift the suspension. His sports advisor Siddhi Byanjanakar and Council Member Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta were present. On behalf of ANFA, General Secretary Kiran Rai, Treasurer Rabindra Joshi and Spokesperson Sah participated in the meeting. Spokesperson Sah has responded that all parties should now work together to move Nepali football forward.
After the suspension of the Council, ANFA announced that its early elections scheduled for 13 Chaitra had been postponed. Meanwhile, ANFA had been saying that if the suspension on it was not lifted, the International Football Federation (FIFA) would ban Nepali football. The Council had also proposed a physical discussion with FIFA to resolve the problem, but FIFA did not accept it.
Earlier, in a virtual meeting between the Council, FIFA and ANFA representatives, the world football's highest body had said that the suspension of the Council was a third-party interference in Nepali football. But the officials of the Council claim that ANFA is ready for level-based elections. According to these officials, ANFA had informed the Council that it was ready to hold level-based elections.
ANFA had decided to go for elections before the four-year term of the executive committee led by President Pankaj Bikram Nembang ended and was not ready to hold level-based elections for this. But according to the current developments, ANFA will move forward with the new election program and level-based elections will be held for that. ANFA, however, has said that no such condition was accepted during the lifting of the suspension.
After the decision to lift the suspension, the uncertainty regarding Nepal's participation in the Women's SAFF Championship football to be held in Goa, India in the next two weeks has ended. The Nepali women's team missed out on a FIFA tournament in Thailand due to the controversy. The ongoing National League and Martyrs' Memorial Women's League were also suspended amid the controversy. There were also allegations that foreign players played in these two leagues without work permits.
