New equation taking place inNepalese soccer

There is a new game being played in the Nepalese soccer. The main player of the new game is none other than the National Sports Council Member-Secretary himself. Member Secretary Binod Shankar Palikhe and the government supported All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Geeta Rana are locked in a new battle that has, of late, been proving to be a boon to FIFA supported Nepalese soccer association President Ganesh Thapa.

Because of the new turn, Palikhe has been seen taking side with Thapa and his ANFA, which he had dismissed a year ago over the charges that Thapa had disregarded the NSC rules and had run the then ANFA at his own will. Palikhe later advised the government to constitute a probe committee under a lawyer named Ram Krishna Nirala to investigate into Thapa’s performance as the then President. The committee had come with some charges against Thapa and his ANFA.

After dismissing Thapa’s ANFA, Palikhe nominated Rana and some of his supporters in the new ad-hoc ANFA committee, that, however, was not recognised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and by the FIFA.

After the FIFA and the AFC’s denial to recognise Rana as Nepalese football association president, Rana and her supporters went into an election. This election for new ANFA committee was held as per the AFC’s advice given to the NSC and the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC).

NOC President Rukma Shumsher Rana acted as the coordinator for the new election, which was eventually won by Rana and her supporters. Thapa, who was earlier chosen president of his ANFA unopposed in a separately and secretely held election, did not contest the election.

It was during this election in which Geeta Rana and Palikhe emerged as the bitter foes. Prior to the election held in November last year at Satdobato’s Birendra Sports Complex, the NSC Member-Secretary had wished for proposing himself as the new ANFA president candidate, angering Rana and her allies in his place. But at the last moment Palikhe pulled out his name and Tashi Ghale contested the election in his place. Ghale, who was allegedly supported by Palikhe, lost the election to Rana. The consequent victory of Rana ignited the bitter animosity between Palikhe and her.

With the rift between these two widening every passing day, Palikhe has now been seen moving closer to everybody who are the rivals of Geeta Rana. He even went against his earlier stand of not allowing anybody other than NSC recognised ANFA to hold football matches in the Dashrath Stadium and allowed Nepal Sports Association to hold King Birendra Memorial Soccer tournament. Just a few days back, he sanctioned the Former Soccer Players’ Association to organise friendly matches between South Korean Hyundai team and Nepalese booters at the same venue.

But when Palikhe was having good times with Nepal Sports Association and its President Ghale, Rana organised a press meet to rebuff the Palikhe’s action to allow other association to run tournaments on NSC owned Dashrath Stadium. She blamed him for not allowing her to organise King Tribhuwan Challenge Shield at the stadium. Palikhe who had earlier vowed not to give the ground to the associations other than Rana’s ANFA, is now saying that the NSC will give the ground to any person who is a valid Nepali citizen to hold various sports programs at the stadium.

To make the matter worse, Palikhe had written a show-cause notice to Rana for alleging the NSC for its attempted alienation of Rana. The letter also said that Rana must apologise and commit self-criticism for the mistakes caused while putting blame on the NSC.

There is no doubt that the NSC Member Secretary’s new step has brought old foes into a camp and has gradually started alienating Rana. But Palikhe must realize that backtracking from his earlier stand would not bring fruits to him. Despite attempting trade charges against each other, Palikhe, as the chief of the nation’s supreme sports organising body and Rana, as the government supported ANFA boss, must work together to start various soccer programmes in the nation. A sustained and joint action plan are necessary to bring supports of the FIFA and the AFC. The all-out action is needed to bend these world and regional soccer organisations in favour of NSC’s ANFA. Or, the Nepalese football is hit on its face due to the present ‘one nation, two soccer associations status’.