MMC is facing a crisis as 13 of the 25 players who played for the club during the Martyrs Memorial A Division League are no more associated with the club. [break]
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has also said it will not release the players undergoing closed camp training for the SAFF Championship for the Safal Cup.
Seven players from MMC, six from Nepal Police Club, four from Mega Three Star Club, three from Yeti Airlines Himalayan Sherpa Club, two from Nepal Army and one from NRT are in the closed camp training for the SAFF Championship.
Santosh Sahukhala, Anil Gurung, Sandip Rai, Nirajan Khadka, Dipak Bhusal, Bijay Gurung and Sujal Shrestha are the MMC players undergoing the closed camp training.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Khadka, Anjan KC, Naresh KC, Tirtha Rijal, Umesh Upreti, Ganesh Thapa Magar, Kalu Thapa Magar, Sanjay Gurung, Nabin Maharjan, Bikash Gauchan, Yugal Kishor Rai and Sayan Mosavi have left the team.
A meeting of MMC held on Monday has decided to request ANFA to release players for the Safal Cup. "We are facing difficulty as ANFA has said that it will not release players for the tournament.
On the other hand, it is said that only players registered with the club will be eligible to participate in the event," MMC President Tashi Ghale told Republica, adding, "Either other (unregistered) players should be allowed to play in the tournament or ANFA must release national players. If ANFA does not provide us with an option, we´ll pull out of the tournament."
Ghale also warned that MMC may even quit football if it is not able to participate in the event. "Hyundai of Laxmi Group is our main sponsor and the tournament is also sponsored by Laxmi Group. Therefore the tournament carries great importance for us. But if we could not participate in the event due to shortage of players we may not play football in future."
He also warned that the players may also not be given salary if such a situation arises.
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