The ANFA organized football activities, entertainment and cultural programs at the ANFA Complex, Satdobato to mark the day on Tuesday.However, national team skipper, referees and officials said that they are not getting equal opportunities, incentives and other facilities compared to their male counterparts. They are struggling and lacking better career opportunities in the game.
Women's national team skipper Anu Lama said that they have been getting less facilities as compared to the men's team and said that women footballers are not in the condition to see career growth in the game.
"Women do not have career in football as there are only five regional and three departmental teams in the country. Tournaments are also not organized frequently to engage the players," said Anu.
Women's career in the game will develop with enough domestic tournaments and increment in the prize amount will open door for the introduction of new clubs that will hire players," added Anu, who said that the move of the departmental teams to pay monthly salary to players is a good motivator.
Similarly, football referee Bina Shrestha said women referees are getting less opportunities compared to their male counterparts as there are lesser tournaments for women in the country.
Shrestha also said that women referees are being paid less although FIFA provides equal facilities to both men and women referees.
"We are not getting enough opportunities to officiate the matches due to lack of women's event and there has been discrimination in the wages," said Shrestha, who added that there should be longer period of closed-camp trainings for the development of women's game.
Likewise, former national footballer Tulsa Singh, who was the manager of the women's team for the 12th South Asian Games, said that women are being discriminated against regarding facilities and incentives.
"Women footballers are not getting enough facilities and equal amount that are given to male footballers," said Singh, who, however opined that the program that ANFA organized to mark the women's football day has given them pressure to do something for women as well.
She also said that various age group teams should be formed for girls, who should be kept in hostel as boys are getting such facilities from the ANFA.
Meanwhile, ANFA Women's Committee president Kalpana Piya Shrestha said that the program is best for the empowerment of women through football.
"Nepali women's football team has the capacity to do better in the international competition and there are chances that the team will get enough opportunities in the coming days," said Shrestha.
Similarly, ANFA Acting President Narendra Shrestha said that the football governing body is all set to introduce new programs for women's football.
"We will acknowledge the achievement of women's football in the SAG and we are also introducing new programs for women's football," said Shrestha.
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