ANFA thanks German govt. and Obermann

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 14: All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and the German government will continue to work jointly in the promotion of Nepalese soccer in days to come, speakers at a soccer coaching seminar’s conclusion ceremony said today.

The recently held coaching ceremony under German soccer coach Holger Obermann had been "extremely useful and was good one" said ANFA President Geeta Rana at the conclusion ceremony of the 5-day long coaching seminar held at ANFA complex Satdobato, Lalitpur.

We are indebted to German Government for granting ANFA to train its coaches by Obermann, said Rana. "This is the first training programme of any kind held for ANFA coaches after the election of its current executive body."

Expressing her gratitude to the German Olympic Committee and government, Rana said that she would look forward to assistance of such kind for infrastructure poor Nepalese soccer.

The recently held coaching seminar, where 45 coaches from 22 districts and seven first class clubs received coaching training from veteran German soccer coach Obermann, was organised under the assistance provided by the German National Olympic Committee.

At the function, Obermann said that the coaches whom he trained were very hardworking. They need to return to their home district to give good lessons to football players of all ages.

Obermann later was given a letter of felicitation for his endeavors in promoting Nepalese soccer from the grass-root level. Later coaches wrapped him with shawl as mark of respect for the veteran coaches and offered Nepalese woolen carpets as gifts.

Obermann also made private and personal donations to ANFA. He handed 500 footballs to ANFA President Rana. These balls, according to Obermann and ANFA officials will be distributed to district football associations later.

Obermann who had come here from East Timor where he also runs the youth football programme, said that while coaching soccer players, coaches should also create fun and happiness. He also said that coaches must try to make their soccer students good players and good citizen of the country because the nation’s future rests on them.

At the ceremony, German First Attaché said that the government of Germany will do whatever it can to develop Nepalese football as it has been doing for the past ten years.

ANFA General Secretary Kumar Thapa said that he hoped that the German assistance to ANFA would continue in the future, no matter his organisation would be recognized by FIFA or not.

Thapa said that ANFA is always grateful to Obermann for his contribution in developing football.

From among coaches, Gambir Lama said that all the coaches were grateful to Obermann to imparting modern football coaching.

Lama expressed his commitment that all the coaches would go to their respective districts and do good coaching henceforward.

He further said that there should also be good tournament to test our coaching skills. ANFA member Sanjeev Mishra said that the contribution of Obermann would go a long way in promoting national soccer.