ANFA rule footballers to stick by their old clubs

Source: Himalayan News Service

KATHMANDU: The footballers signed with the clubs in 2007 will have to stick with the same clubs for the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League that will begin here in Kathmandu from February 12.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) league committee meeting today decided to continue with the 2007 players’ regulation for the league, meaning the footballers will have to join the clubs they signed with three years earlier.

“Since, no new regulations have been formulated yet, we have decided to continue with the old one,” said the ANFA vice-president and spokesperson Lalit Krishna Shrestha.

After the ‘A’ Division League stalled in 2007, a number of players have left their clubs and are now registered with new ones but Friday’s decision will rule the players to play with their previously registered clubs. The meeting also decided to allow five foreign players in a team during the league. But only four players can take the field at one time.

The meeting decided to provide Rs 300,000 each to all the 12 participating teams as the league preparation amount. “In addition, the teams will also receive 80 per cent of the gate collection,” added Shrestha. “The league management committee will keep the 20 per cent amount,” informed Shrestha. The winner of the league will once again bag a purse of two million rupees. The ANFA have also decided to stick with their decision to organise the league from February 12 though the tournament coincides with the reputed Budha Subba Gold Cup of Dharan.