Pradip left out of SAG, too

Source: REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Dec 28: Pradip Maharjan has been left out of the team selected for South Asian Games (SAG) football. He had also been excluded from the recently concluded SAFF Championship.

The 20-member team announced by the All Nepal Football Association on Monday includes striker Jumanu Rai, defender Sagar Thapa and custodian Bikash Malla as three over-aged members. SAG football is a U-23 event but the rules allow selection of up to three over-aged members. Raju Tamang, goalie Ritesh Thapa and Pradip, have been left out, despite being selected in the previous phase of selection.

The squad consists of 13 national players, who had played the SAFF Championship held a month back in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Along with Bikash, Kiran Chemjong is the other custodian of the team. Rohit Chand, Biraj Maharjan, Rabin Shrestha, Suman Subedi, Noor Raj Kafle and Bikash Singh Chhetri are the defenders of the squad. Nirajan Khadka, Bhola Silwal, Ranjit Shrestha, Yogesh Shrestha and Laxman Ruchal are the midfielders. Jumanu Rai, Chetan Ghimire, Santosh Sahukhala, Anil Gurung and Nirajan Malla are the strikers. Kiran, Noor Raj, Bikash Singh, Laxman, Bharat and Nirajan were not in the team for the SAFF Championship.

Yogesh Shrestha who was unable to play the British Gurkha Cup due to controversy over registration could not secure a place in the team while Deepen Shrestha has been included as only a substitute of the squad.

Similarly, Deepak Bhusal, Santosh Gurung, Pukar Gahatraj, Jeevan Sinkeman, Shiva Shrestha, Sandeep Rai and Prabin Karki have been excluded from the final list.

Pravin has been slapped with a year´s ban by ANFA after he assaulted assistant referee Madhusudan Khanal during a match against Boys Union Club on Friday in the ongoing British Gurkha Cup.