National League fails to ignite excitement

At last   we   have   a   brand name called   A Division National League   Football   Championship.  In whatsoever   shape and form it might be, never mind, the long wait is over finally.

Why,   All Nepal   Football   Association (ANFA)   took   this long to roll out a competition of utmost importance, to this day, remains   a mystery.  Not to me at least.  I have a straight answer.  I have frequently said, and I will   say it again. This is nothing but an example of   ignorance and incompetency. 

For the most   part the football   body   solely   focused   on Martyr’s   League (A, B, C & D) in which Kathmandu Valley based clubs   competed. The   participation of   Koilapani, a non- based Valley outfit made the last edition an exception.

The   same   opportunity   was   denied   to clubs outside the Valley. There never was   a serious effort to bring clubs across the country to mainstream   competition on part of ANFA, a huge blunder indeed. 

Going back to the ongoing National League, the decision to organize   outside Kathmandu   was a good move. Had it not   been   for the ground   maintenance   work   of Dasarath   Stadium (for the upcoming AFC tournament), the competition might not have come to the picturesque valley of Pokhara.

To   host a   sporting event big and important   as the National League at a short notice (two weeks) is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. It is   about   putting   the management and all   logistics in place, which the organizer has not been able to do it. 

The competition has been marred   by   mismanagement, poor ground conditions and low attendance according to local reports. ANFA certainly deserves brunt of the blame for it, and there‘s no way they can accomplish the purpose of the league.

It has been   a hectic round of non-stop football for players. The   twenty-two matches   played in Pokhara had its share of moments, controversies, brawls, questionable umpiring and so forth, all part of the beautiful game.

There is plenty at stake in the competition, which is of great significance to every    team in the fray.  Apart from the handsome largesse, the winner gets to represent the country in the Asian President’s Cup Championship that to me is the bigger reward of the two.

As reports suggest the teams have performed spiritedly, but nothing out of the ordinary. No outfit has stood out when it comes to performing to a high level.

More or less, there is very little to differentiate teams in terms of playing standards, style, approach and tactics. Clearly the tight and flawed format of the   competition is taking its toll on players, mentally and physically.

Such is the pressure   that   players   have   been   forced to slog it out, and at the same   time   they are risking career ending injuries because of the unsafe ground conditions.

The league   features eight teams from the Martyr’s A Division alongside Sangam Club (Kaski) and Mitra Milan Club (Dharan). 

At the conclusion of the first phase, Nepal Police Club   emerged the   clear front runner. They are the only   team   undefeated so far and go into the second phase of the competition in Butwal with a healthy lead.

On the other hand,   strong contenders  Three Stars  Club and  Manang  Marsyangdhi  Club have not lived up to expectations and   struggled  mightily .  To finish in the top three they   must turn in a vastly improved performance.

Amongst the less fancied teams, Jawalakhel   Youth   Club   and   Himalayan Sherpa have   played    well, and the two are jockeying for second place. The big question is will they be able to keep their momentum going?

Despite a string of   defeats   rank outsiders Sangam   Club and Mitra Milan Club have put on a brave face.   As evidenced by their fairly good showing, they are definitely no   pushover.

The   recruitment of foreign players by   clubs is one positive and very encouraging aspect of the tournament that cannot be overlooked.   Let   us wait and see how the remaining twenty-two matches pan out in Butwal.

In a nutshell, the first   phase league was   a low- key affair devoid of excitement and quality matches.