ANFA gears preparation for the U-16 and U-19 qualifiers

25 August 2009 - The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has geared up preparations for the U-16 and U-19 qualifiers. The AFC will not provide any financial assistance to hold these tournaments, stated ANFA spokesperson Lalit Krishna Shrestha.

“The AFC will not provide any financial support to hold these two tournaments. We are looking for sponsors for these events and some entrepreneurs have responded positively to our proposals,” said Shrestha. We have asked for support from the government for these two tournaments, he added. However, ANFA has not clearly specified the amount to be spent to conduct the tournaments.

“A large portion of the budget will be required for lodging so it will be difficult to calculate the exact amount of expenses for the tournament. We will be able to calculate expenses once we pick a hotel,” Shrestha added. Though the AFC will provide allowances for the officials, ANFA has to bear the management cost as the tournament host, Shrestha said.

Special preparation for the youth teams

ANFA has started special training for the U-16 and U-19 squad. There are altogether 26 U-16 players in the ANFA Academy and 14 more players have been selected from across the country on Monday. Dambar Gurung and Sunil Shrestha have been coaching the U-16 players.

Similarly, there are altogether 28 ANFA academy players in the U-19 squad. The ANFA has also started nationwide selection of players for the U-19 team from Tuesday. Coaches Raju Shakya and Kishor KC are training the players.

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