The newly effective Players´ Registration Regulation states that any club must complete the players´ registration 72 hours before the tournament. [break]ANFA has declared Bauddha Football Club as the winner of the opening match as Jawalakhel were barred from playing in the tournament after they were drawn to play in the inaugural match on Monday. Jawalakhel have claimed that had started registering their 14 players on Sunday. Bouddha will take on the police on Sept 24.
All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Ganesh Thapa has announced to enforce the regulations strictly. "We will try to improve the weaknesses in management seen during previous tournaments. Players and officials compulsorily need to put accreditation card and even ANFA officials will not be allowed to go in track without the card," Thapa said adding, "There won´t be any compromise regarding regulations."
Regarding the regulation, Thapa said, "We have given the regulations to clubs two months earlier and also published the calendar. The clubs were aware that they need to register players 72 hours before the tournament and they must comply with it."
Jawalakhel General Secretary Manamohan KC said, "While coming from district to the capital the players were stranded in the highway due to landslide but ANFA did not understand this problem."
"If the clubs need to register their players 72 hours prior to the tournament than is it justifiable for ANFA to make the tie sheet draw just 24 hours ahead of the tournament?" KC questioned.
KC said they stopped Sunday´s registration process of 14 players to protest ANFA´s decision. "Currently we have decided to pull out of the tournament and we have called an emergency meeting of the club on Monday. The meeting will decide further steps." Meanwhile, manager of the club Samir KC said that Jawalakhel will not play any knockout tournament to be organized by the ANFA in the future as well.
"ANFA did not cooperate with us even though all clubs have agreed to let us play in the tournament ANFA denied our participation," KC said.
A Div knockout football from Monday
Only 12 out of 18 A division teams are participating in the San Miguel A Division Knockout Football Tournament to begin from Monday.
Top Four teams of the first division league--Nepal Police Club, Three Star Club, New Road Team and Nepal Army Club--have avoided first phase match as ANFA, the organizers, seeded them.
Similarly, the winners of the Tuesday´s match to be held between Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT) and Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangid Club (MMC) will take on New Road Team (NRT) in quarterfinal to be held on September 25.
On Wednesday, APF Club of the Armed Police Force will play against Bansbari Club and the winner will take on Nabil Three Star Club. Similarly, Himalayan Sherpa will play against NIBL Friends Club and the winner will take on Army on Sept 27 in the quarterfinal.
The semifinals will be held on September 28 and 29 while the final will take place on October 4.
The winners and the runners up of the tournament will bag a purse of Rs 200,000 and Rs 100,000 respectively. Excluding the cash prize ANFA has expected the cost of the tournament to reach around Rs 800,000. Eighty percent of the proceeds to be collected from gate collection will be given to the team competing on the very day while 20 percent will be taken by ANFA for the management. Money collected from the semifinals and onwards will be distributed equally among the clubs and ANFA.
San Miguel will provide Rs 500,000 as the sponsor of the tournament.
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