The new working committee of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), which was elected only about 2 months ago, is now entangled in political appointments and dismissals. The attention of the regulation that should be focused on making the football sector work in the country is drawn towards the appointments and dismissals, ANFA is pretending not to know that the Nepalese football stars are playing local cup in India to survive.
Lack of football back in Nepal compelling players to take risk
Since the domestic league and football activities have stopped in Nepal since last Chaitra, it has created a difficult situation for the players even to feed their stomach. Due to the unveiling politics even in the field of sports, 7 players who have played for the Nepali national team have fled to Australia in the last two months, while the remaining 60 stars are playing Local Cups in various places like Sikkim, Darjeeling, Assam, Kalingpong, India.
Some went Australia some playing khep
Players like Darshan Gurung, Suman Lama, Ashish Lama, Naveen Gurung, Bimal Rana Hemant Thapa Magar, Niraj Basnet migrated to Australia and New Zealand to play football while the regular members of the national team Bimal Gharti Magar, Anjan Bista, Pujan Uparkoti, Deep Karki, Gautam Shrestha, Sunil Bal and other players are playing local tournaments being organized in different places of India on the occasion of Independence Day.
The risk to get ruled out due to injury
There is a high chance of players getting injured due to poor quality ground and poor management of the tournament, but these star players are struggling to survive even if taking risks of their career. Emerging goalkeeper Deep Karki, defender Gautam Shrestha, midfielder Sunil Bal, defender Ashok Khawas are playing for Mixed Up Eleven Koreseong, midfielders Rejeen Dhimal, Bishal Rai and Sanjog Rai are playing from Manebhanjyang FC and Pujan Uparkoti, goalkeeper Kishore Giri and defender Man Bahadur Tamang are playing for Siliguri FC.
How much these players are paid?
As per the local medias, depending upon the level of competition, these players are getting between NRs.2,000 to NRs.10,000 Nepalese rupees per match. This practice of hiring players for the local gold cup is called Khep where a single player can earn unto 2-3 lakhs Nepali Rupees by playing various competitions until the end of August. But the people of Darjeeling and Sikkim are shaming the Nepal government and ANFA when they see that even the important Nepal international star players are wandering in different parts of India.
The reasons behind the players miserable conditions
If the franchise leagues like NSL had been organized on the scheduled date, these players would not have been disturbed like this. Playing abroad for money may be good for the players, but serious injuries after playing for a lot of time increase the risk of ending the players career & country will be losing it's young, talented & promising players.
The flow of Nepalese talents to Australia
Since Nepal currently does not frequently have domestic football events, the number of players traveling abroad is rising quickly. More than six Nepalese players have moved to Australia in the past two months. Another promising player Hemanta Thapa Magar has been added to the numbers.
Hemant Thapa Magar
Hemant, a young & talented product of ANFA Academy was a sensational midfielder along with Bimal Gharti Magar, Anant Tamang, Anjan Bista, Tej Tamang, and Sunil Bal during the 2015 U19 SAFF Championship where he had scored a goal in the penalty shootout against India to lift the trophy. Also a former Nepal international who had already served as the captain of Nepal’s U-19 golden football generation during 2015-16 , Hemant made his international football debut in a friendly game against India in June 2016. Since then, despite being given a chance in closed training, he hadn’t got opportunity to play for the national team. He had already represented Three Star Club, Chyasal Youth Club & Manang Marsyangdi Club in the A Division League. He will be playing now playing for Fewa Club,in the Gorkha Nepalese League (GNC) in Sydney, Australia.
Bimal Rana
Along with Hemanta another Nepalese international Bimal Rana had fled to Australia to play local leagues there. Making his his debut against Kuwait on 2019, Bimal has been in & out off the national team. Also the vice-captain of Manang Marsyangdi Club & former Tribhuwan Army skipper, Bimal will be playing now representing Fewa Club, in the Gorkha Nepalese League (GNC) in Sydney, Australia.
Who are the other Nepalese players to go Australia?
Earlier other Nepal internationals had already traveled to Australia and been playing in the regional football competition. Suman Lama Ashish Lama Santosh Tamang Darshan Gurung Navin Gurung. Former Nepal international Bimal Basnet along with midfielder Heman Gurung, goalkeeper Alan Neupane and midfielder Jagjit Shrestha, has also been in Australia for the past two years. Before that, Sulav Maskey, Vivek Pratap Pant and other players who performed well in the age group had already been settled there.
The negligency from ANFA
As the domestic league in Nepal is not finalized, talented players are fleeing abroad one after the other, while the parent organization All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is still watching. The fact that private corporations are becoming more interested in football in Nepal is definitely a good thing, but this is the first time that the players have become frustrated by the failure of even a franchise league like the Nepal Super League. The NSL, which is intended to be played in Chaitra, hasn’t yet been finalized till date after ANFA lacked mutual agreement.