Madhyapur, which finished third from the bottom, was relegated from the Martyrs Memorial Red Bull A Division Football League along with Bauddha and Bansbari FC.[break]
A win or a draw could have kept alive Madhyapur´s hopes of remaining in the top flight, but still it would have to wait for the result of the match between Jawalakhel and Nepal Police Club scheduled to be held on Thursday.
Tension ran high after Madhyapur´s Nirajan Rayamajhi fell down in the danger zone following a challenge from Som Bahadur Malla in the 74th minute. Match referee Bikash Mahat turned down the penalty appeal by Madhyapur players and officials. Earlier, Ganesh Khadka had put Sherpa ahead in the 52nd minute.
Madhyapur officials, including Singh, got out of the box and engaged in a heated argument with ANFA officials. Some officials other than Singh even signaled the players to leave the match midway. However, the players didn´t leave the field.
But as soon as the referee blew the final whistle, Madhyapur officials including Singh, who is also the club´s president, and vice-president Asta Kumar Kabe tried to manhandle the referee as he was returning to the dressing room.
Singh even hurled a chair at referee Mahat, but police personnel and ANFA volunteers protected the referee. A large number of Madhyapur fans then started chanting slogans against the referee and ANFA. They vandalized numerous seats of VIP parapet and hurled them into the field. They also broke wash basins of the rest room and some of them jumped into the track from the parapet.
Police deployed at the Dasharath Stadium were forced to baton charge to take the situation under control. Madhyapur officials refused to leave the players´ box after completion of the match despite repeated requests from ANFA officials and instead signaled supporters to join them in the field
Soon after FIFA anthem was played for the next match scheduled between New Road Team (NRT) and NMB Machhidnra Club, officials of Madhyapur went to the center of the ground to obstruct the match.
They turned a deaf ear to repeated requests of ANFA officials to leave the playground delaying the start of the second match by 45 minutes. They even exchanged blows with police who had entered the ground.
Police finally had to use force against Madhyapur officials. Singh who tried to pull a baton from a policeman was knocked on the ground by another policeman. Finally police forced Madhyapur officials to leave the field.
Speaking with television channels later, Singh, who did not appear at the post-match conference, said he did not regret the incident. "We already knew that such an incident would occur today. We had even requested ANFA not to let referee Mahat officiate this match as he hails from Jawalakhel. It is a ploy to save Jawalakhel and relegate Madhyapur from A division. Thus I do not regret the incident."
Meanwhile, ANFA Vice-president and spokesperson Lalit Krishna Shrestha said ANFA shall take necessary action against the club after receiving reports from match commissioner, referee assessor, disciplinary committee and security committee. "We have directed all concerned committees to submit the report promptly.
As soon as the committees submit their report, the disciplinary committee shall take necessary action," said Shrestha, adding that Madhyapur had also filed a complaint against the referee.
"In the past also ANFA has taken action to maintain discipline during the match and if the club is found guilty, it won´t be spared," said Shrestha.
PHOTOS BY BIJAY RAI
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