Give Mr. Karma Tsering Sherpa chance to lead ANFA

October 24^th, 2016 is a very important date in the All Nepal Football Association ‘s calendar.  It is   the most  highly  anticipated high-profile football body’s presidential election day.

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) had no choice but to reluctantly announce   the election date for the most coveted and sought after position, thanks largely to FIFA’s directives.

ANFA had resisted the idea of early election call and resorted to dilly dally tactics. Mr. Narendra Shrestha wanted to serve out his one plus year term as ANFA Acting- President.

For the first time in over two decades, the corrupt, disgraced former ANFA President Ganesh Thapa will not be on the ballot for the leadership position. I bet his cronies will sorely miss him.

That said, Mr. Thapa is expected to play a major role in the election. Without a doubt, he will put his heart, soul and energy into the election, which means so much to him.

Also he is bound to throw his weight behind his  candidate, assuring that he wins the election convincingly.

Unquestionably,  Mr. Thapa still wields tremendous clout and influence even sans official power on ANFA. That is why he is such an important player in the election.

He is the puppet master, working behind the scenes and pulling all the strings. He will do  anything and everything he can  to help his man win the football body’s most prized  position.

There is no doubt that the candidate backed by Mr. Thapa  has the upperhand  and stands a better chance of winning the election.

He will heavily rely on the network of staunch supporters Mr.Thapa has built up over decades in the country.

In addition, when  it comes to vote buying and voter coercion, Mr.Thapa is unmatchable.

My fear, should that happen ( if Mr.Thapa’s chosen prevails), it would be a huge setback  for Nepali football that is already in peril  due  to the  disastrous  leadership of Mr. Thapa.

 It  is not overstating  the point to say that it  would be  merely an extension of Mr. Thapa’s failed administration.

I would be taken aback if Mr.Thapa’s supporters abandon him, that is highly unlikely, and rally around the most viable and competent candidate, which they should do to provide Nepali football a new leadership.

A handful of potential candidates are expected to jump into the fray.  So far only former MMC President and former ANFA General- Secretary Tashi Ghale has declared his candidacy for the football body’s top post.

 He might be able to pick up scattered support from the football community, but his chances of winning the election are very slim.

Although Mr.Thapa’s surrogate Acting- President of ANFA Shrestha is yet to officially throw his hat in the ring, it is only a matter of time before he ends up running for the Presidency.

Mr. Shrestha is the clear favorite to win with help from Mr.Thapa’s machine. His fierce, undying loyalty to his former boss is well documented . I don’t see how Mr. Thapa can ditch him now.

This is a rare opportunity for supporters of Mr. Thapa to wake up, change gear and choose someone over Mr. Shrestha. They must rise above petty, personal interests and embrace a candidate who truly represents the broad interest of Nepali football.

If their support for their preferred candidate remains unchanged, it would be very unfortunate, and they would be doing footballers and football, a great disservice.

In the present context of Nepali football there is a need for new leadership, new direction and new optimism. We have seen enough of Mr. Shrestha to know what he is capable of doing.

Mr. Shrestha has proven himself to be a weak and unworthy leader. In other words, he lacks leadership qualities. His willingness to fall on his knees before Mr. Thapa says it all.

If rumormongers are  to be believed former Nepal international and  AIG Bigyan Raj Sharma has been touted  as one of the candidates for the contentious position.

I don't believe it . It's just a rumor .I am pretty sure he will not contest the election. Even if he does, he stands zero chance.

ANFA VP Karma Tsering Sherpa is the third candidate who is most likely to announce his candidacy in the near future.  Lately, he has been feverishly working to gain support for office vacated by Mr. Thapa.

In my humble opinion, Mr. Sherpa is a serious candidate and   should be taken seriously. Let us not forget that he and his colleagues played pivotal roles in ousting  Mr. Thapa from office.

Mr. Sherpa has been   a member of   ANFA’s executive committee    for a long time, but for the most part he was   relegated to a back seat for his opposition to Mr. Thapa’s autocratic leadership style.

Interestingly, the   rift between the two marked the beginning of the end for Mr. Thapa. Rest is history.

 Mr. Sherpa is a committed, powerful advocate for   Nepali football .He was one of the brainchilds behind the “Save Nepal Football”, a nationwide campaign launched to garner support for their cause,(promoting and safeguarding the integrity of Nepali football).

He carries a longtime passion for football. He has been reaching out to the entire football community in the country and making lofty promises to change things around, given the chance to lead ANFA.

Umpteenth times, we have heard him say, “ We are going to change the face of Nepali football, that is my vision, it will be changed.”

Mr. Sherpa has embarked upon a nationwide tour aimed at seeking, and winning support for his candidacy from die hard loyalists of his ex boss. Whether or not, he is able to make a serious dent in them remains to be seen.

Since Nepali football is very polarized politically, parties   are expected to play an important role by rallying behind their respective candidates.

On Election Day, it comes down to choosing between Mr. Sherpa and Mr. Shrestha.  To me Mr. Sherpa is the most viable, competent candidate in the race.

I strongly feel Mr. Sherpa deserves a chance to lead the football body. Who knows he might turn out to be the right person for Nepali football. 

Assuming Mr. Sherpa is elected ANFA President, what matters most is.whether he is true to his promises and his words. He will be judged by his actions and not by his words.