As per as the grassroots policy of All Nepal Football Asociation (ANFA), the Nepal Bank Junior U-14 League Football is going to be held at ANFA Complex, Satdobato from May 6-18.
Defending Champion Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) and other eleven teams, except two relegated teams and the Army- are competing in the tournament vying for the winning purse of 100,000. Nabil Three star Club, Jawalakhel Youth Club, Brigade Boys Club, Friends Club, Boys Union club, NRT, Sankata Club, Machhindra FC, MPC and APF are the other teams.
ANFA will divide the teams in two groups where they must play in league-cum-knock-out basis. ANFA will provide Rs 10,000 each to participant teams and will provide five-academy player to each club. The winning team will walk away with the prize money, medals and trophy while runners-up will get 50,000 and the other semi-finalists 25,000 each. The best player in each department will get attractive prizes from ANFA.
In the meantime, ANFA has revealed that the best newcomer from this tournament will get a chance to encamp themselves in the ANFA Academy. The total estimated budget of the tournament is 0.8 million Rupees where Nepal Bank has provided 0.3 million Rupees.
“We are working very hard in the grassroots area and I think, this kind of league game would provide rookies with club-knowledge-football,” ANFA President Ganesh Thapa said, adding,”Our kids must know about our league football so that they can learn where to play in the near future”.
Meanwhile, ANFA bade farewell to Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC), the Nepalese team participating in the prestigious AFC President’s Cup, amidst a function on Tuesday here at ANFA Complex Satdobato.
ANFA President Ganesh Thapa bade farewell the 21-member team that will spend a week in Bangkok and then fly to Kuching to take part in the 2nd edition of AFC President’s Cup.
Meanwhile Coach Chhering Lobsang is worried about his forward line where he has still been unable to chalk out the best combination due to the lack of practice. “We have not played a single match after the arrival of the new players,” lamented Lobsang.
The Nigerians had played an instrumental role in MMC’s title triumph. MMC opted not to field any foreign players despite meeting all transfer procedures. “We had earlier confirmed Nurudeen Olawale and Brigade Boys’ Obagbemiro Junior’s place but later when we came to know about their intention to leave the club and go abroad after the tournament, we decided to drop them,” Lobsang said.
MMC is in Group ‘B’ along with defending champion Dordoi Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan, FC Vakhsh of Tajikistan and Ratnam Sports Club of Sri Lanka.
The squad is as follows: Coach Chiring Lobsang, Managers Kamal Gurung and Kumar Bhattarai and players Tashi Tschering (Capt), Basanta Gauchan, Umesh Upreti, Nabin Neupane, Ritesh Khadka, Sandip Rai, Anil Gurung, Nirajan Khadka, Prasanta Giri, Sagar Thapa, Pankaj Lama, Sanjaya Gurung, Raj Kumar Ghising, Prabesh Katuwal, Khum Gurung, Tilak Gurung, Sachin Shrestha (GK) and Sangeet Rajak (GK).