 |
Kathmandu Wednesday November 08, 2000 Kartik 23 2057.
|
ANFA controversy tolls
hard on trainees
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Nov 7 - As the ANFA controversy
takes a new turn every single day, nobody seems to be giving much thought to the cause of
the 40 boys who were undergoing training in the ANFA complex at Satdobato before the
controversy started.
The boys who were selected for football
scholarship some three years back, have not been training in the complex since the Dashain
holidays. Kumar Thapa, General Secretary of Geeta Rana led ANFA, accuses Ganesh Thapa to
have taken the boys forcefully away before they could rejoin the training.
Ganesh Thapa however refutes the
allegation. 35 students out of the 40 trainees are presently staying in a hotel with
Ganesh Thapa. After the ANFA debacle, the day for the boys starts with football 'practice'
with a plastic ball in the hotel garden of about twenty by thirty feet. They have nothing
to do except watch TV and roam around the whole day long.
When asked if they are happy with the
routine, boys reply that they would be happy playing. Most of the boys are studying in
class 8 and 9 in Galaxy Public School, the school under management of Geeta Rana.
According to Ganesh Thapa, the boys will be sent to school from Thursday onwards. He
expects the school management to have professional attitude and co-operate.
The boys are under fear of Nepal being
suspended of FIFA and AFC membership. 14 year old Prakash Shrestha, a trainee, says "
There is no use playing football if we will not be allowed to play in any other country
except Nepal." The boys say that they started to train under the leadership of Ganesh
Thapa and want to continue with him. Prashant Giri(14 yr), a trainee who comes from Jhapa
says " Ganesh Sir has been taking care of us since the beginning and we have complete
faith in him."
Ganesh Thapa, when asked about the future
of the boys replies, "We are trying to start a new hostel and resume training very
soon." He is hopeful about the goal project staying in Nepal. About the goal project,
he says, "As we (ANFA under his leadership) are recognized by FIFA and AFC (referring
to the letter sent by AFC on Oct 29), the goal project will continue." He, however
says that if Nepal is suspended from FIFA and AFC, Nepal cannot participate in any
championship outside its boundary and none of its players can play outside the country as
a professional. He further adds that if the controversy continues further Nepal's
suspension is a possibility.
The ANFA election held by Ganesh Thapa on
Oct 18 has been recognized as legal by AFC according to the letter sent by the
confederation. No one knows when the row is going to end but for the boys who idolise the
likes of Roberto Carlos, David Beckham and Rivaldo nothing would be better than training
without any controversy.
Other Story
|
