KATHAMNDU, March 26: Jhapa XI Football Club has been drawn to travel four different venues in its first four fixtures of the Red Bull National League Football Tournament which resumes on April 3 according to fixture released by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Wednesday.
Jhapa is scheduled to play highest four matches in the first 11 days along with Nepal Police Club as per the complete fixture of the tournament. However, Police plays its first three matches at Dasharat Stadium, its home ground in the capital unlike Jhapa which must travel Kathmandu, Rupandehai, Dhangadhi and its home ground Jhapa.
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Jhapa scheduled to visit Dhangadhi, the far west, on April 9 will host Three Star four days later at its home ground in Jhapa. It must travel for at least 24 hours via roadways to reach its home to host Three Star for the fourth match on April 13.
The fourth fixture has worried Jhapa since it gets only one day rest after travelling from Dhangadhi to Jhapa. "We will get only one day rest after reaching home from Dhangadhi. I think the rush in the fixture was unnecessary and it will hamper the performance of players since the players will be exhausted after long travel," Jhapa FC President Jal Kumar Gurung said to the Republica.
"Though we don't have any complain for the first three matches of the fixture, the gap will be too short after travelling from far west to eastern part of the country. It would have been better had there been at least a week gap. We will formally request ANFA to rethink about our fourth fixture and postpone it by at least two or three days."
Jhapa coach Bhagirath Ale also complained about the hectic fixture, especially about the fourth match. "If the fourth fixture against Three Star is not changed, the players will not get enough time to train. ANFA must understand such things and plan accordingly before taking decision," said Ale who has set sight on the title in the very first participation of league.
ANFA acting President Lalit Krishna Shrestha said that he did not have any idea about the fixture and it was prepared by the technical committee. "The fixture could be rescheduled after discussion with the technical committee if there is valid reason for that."
The fixture prepared under coordination of Sanjiv Mishra, the development director of ANFA, claims that the fixture was balanced and scientific. "Since the weather is too hot in mid-April and later in terai, we have tried to finish the matches of those regions early," Mishra said. "It is not just Jhapa but the other teams too have 'hectic' schedule like Jhapa in the later fixtures." He also added that district teams scheduled was planned in a cost-friendly way as per their request.
Nepal Police Club will host Jhapa in the first match after the league resumes on April 3 at the Dasharath Stadium. Three Star and MMC sits on top of the table with six points while APF and Army are on third and fourth positions with four points apiece and Rupandehai has three points. Jhapa, Morang, Police and Far West are yet to open account. Jhapa and Police have played one match each while all other teams have played two matches.
