A systemic decline of football in Nepal

Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport after eight long years, I was finally at   home. I was so overwhelmed with joy and happiness that I had   to literally fight off tears.

Despite the lingering jet lag, I was on my toes the very next day. I decided   going back   to the same familiar place   I frequently visited as a sports reporter. I was ecstatic and eager, hoping to revive happy memories.

After negotiating the chaotic and insane traffic   from Putali Sadak to Tripureswore, shockingly, it took me almost forty minutes to reach my destination “Dasharath Rangasala”, one of the most identifiable landmarks in the capital.

I gazed at her for awhile   and   noticed   a few   cosmetic changes. Other than that, the grand old structure looked unchanged except for the floodlights, giant electronic scoreboard and some minor changes.

Once   inside the stadium, I took a quick look   at the   playing field.  I was   not the least bit surprised to see the over used pitch, far from ideal.  I   stayed back   to watch one of the two ongoing Kathmandu B League matches.

Not surprisingly, the game was   played in front of an empty stadium with no talent scouts and media persons to be seen. Although I was concerned with the standard of play, I was delighted to see youngsters highly enthusiastic and competitive.

I could not   imagine that   games are   still played on field with   hazardous   conditions, exposing players to injuries, ranging from minor to major.

Instead players have braved tough and demanding conditions for the love of the game and not wanting to miss the chance to play. Over the years, god knows how many of them have fallen victims to injuries. 

Keep in mind more than 25% of all football related injuries result from poor field conditions according to recent statistics. In the case of Nepal the percentage is much higher.

Nobody, including   the responsible so called media   seems to pay any attention to an issue that is of critical importance.

Shamelessly All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has   ignored players’   safety   and wellbeing. The sad fact is that they don’t   have   a sense of moral accountability.

All they do is organize   tournaments (something they have been doing for   a   very long time) regardless   of   ground conditions and negligible facilities.

Through all these years, from what I have observed, ANFA does have the money to reward players and clubs big, financially but continues to turn a blind eye when it comes to stadium infrastructure and playing field development.

What baffles me even more is that   football clubs’ willingness to play and risk its players to injuries. It seems though ANFA has a stranglehold   on the majority of Clubs.

The Clubs   lack the will and guts to oppose ANFA. They are   at   their mercy and have become mere pawns in the hands of the football body. They have no   choice   but   to play in tournaments, if an   opportunity arises.

The face of Club football   in Nepal   is deteriorating by the day. Most clubs are in a financial crisis and   lack resources, coupled with   basic infrastructure.

New Road Club, the country’s oldest club   pulled its shutters down for an indefinite period   and Three Star Club is struggling to pay salary to its players. It is indicative to Nepali football clubs’   sorry state and uncertain future.

I chanced upon sport fans, football goers, club   executives, past and present footballers. They voiced anger,   frustration and disappointment, over the slow pace of football development. They unanimously agreed that under President Ganesh Thapa, Nepali football has been going nowhere.

I could not agree more. There are no positive indicators that football is headed in the right direction. Facilities and infrastructures are pitiable,   play fields   is woefully inadequate, grass roots level and youth football programmes (confined to select areas) are very limited, national league does not exist and district football associations are in shambles.

Thapa   continues with his authoritarian style governance, intimidating and arrogant demeanor. Despite   charges   of corruption and mismanagement against him and his administration in recent years, the government, National Sports Council and Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of   Authority have all remained tight- lipped.

Thapa’s recent electoral success for a record fifth term underlined his invincibility, political mastery and power of manipulation. Agree   or not, he has lost his creditability and ability to govern and   his administration is incapable of reform. The election was/is nothing but a big bad farce.

We can criticize Thapa all day long, but it hardly matters. He   has no worries   because   he enjoys FIFA and AFC’s protection. It is no wonder that  he does what he wants and likes.

While I was in a conversation with people in tea stalls and playing grounds, Thapa was   away in Australia, attending Asian Football Confederation’s meeting or conference or whatever.   Expensive foreign junkets have become a norm for the president for years and years. Who cares?

As I was preparing for my trip to Jhapa, the national team was off to Qatar to play a friendly against lowly Yemen.

Before leaving Kathmandu, I got in touch with my   old friend Dipak Rai, father of international Sandip Rai. He invited me to come and watch “Budha Subba Gold Cup”. I   made up my mind to be in Dharan for the tournament. I got all excited.

However, my excitement   was   short lived. At ANFA’s behest the organizer had to postpone the tournament because of the national team’s   friendly against Yemen. I was bitterly disappointed.

Nevertheless,   I   decided to take a jaunt to Dharan and Biratnagar.  I was not at all surprised to see football in the region utterly in an appalling state of affairs. Nothing much seems to have changed for the better, despite ANFA’s big talk.

The district football associations (Morang and Sunsari) suffer from   underfunding and lack of basic infrastructure. There is lack   of playing fields, coaches and grass roots level development.

The existing   facilities   badly need maintenance and repair work. The historical “Shahid Maidan” is in a very, very bad condition. The only thing I could think of seeing new was ANFA Technical Center in Dharan built under FIFA’s Goal project in 2008.

The deep resentment and dissatisfaction displayed by footballer goers, patrons and officials towards ANFA   speaks for itself. As a result, the region is going through   sharp decline   in football standards, despite unprecedented popularity of the sport.

Football in Jhapa district is   no better than Sunsari or Morang. The District Football Association is in a similar situation, badly struggling to keep pace with the changing face of football.  Mechi stadium is in a relatively poor condition, with wear and tear visible.

Munal Club, Jhapa FC,  Rolling Club , BIrtamod  Youth Club, Kakarvita Club and many more are trying their very best to revive football in the area.  Sorry to say their effort is simply not enough to turn things around.

ANFA’s   lack of   leadership,   vision, commitment, honesty and   planning   is fast destroying the most popular sport in the country. The recent defeat of the national team to Yemen and Philippines in friendlies highlights a systemic decline of football in Nepal.

Unquestionably, ANFA is    badly   in   need of a new leadership and total overhaul. This is possible only if there is a united front comprising   players, clubs and sport enthusiasts.

What more can I say? I had to leave Nepal   dismayed, disappointed and dejected. I am not an alarmist, but I am alarmed to   realize that Nepali football is going from bad to worse.