ANFA presidential election today

KATHAMNDU, Oct 24: All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) will get a new president for remaining one year period through special general assembly on Sunday. ANFA Acting President Narendra Shrestha and Vice President Karma Tsering Sherpa are contesting for the top job of the football governing body.  

Besides president, the special general assembly will also elect a vice president. ANFA had been without a president after FIFA, the international football governing body, slapped a 10-year ban on its long-serving president Ganesh Thapa on November 16 last year for misconduct while at the helm of ANFA. 

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Similarly, the position of ANFA vice president had been vacant since June 12 last year after its senior vice president Lalit Krishna Shrestha was electrocuted at his home.

It will be the first time in two decades that candidates will be vying for the post of ANFA president. Besides two candidates for president, Deepak Khati will be vying for the post of vice president from Sherpa’s panel while Mani Kunwar will vie from Shrestha’s panel. Meanwhile, former national football player Upendra Man Singh has filed his candidacy as an independent candidate in the vice presidential race.

The election used to be formality under the leadership of suspended President Thapa. He had managed to make the executive body of ANFA unopposed by hook or crook in his six tenures which formally came to an end following FIFA directives.

Shrestha has been involved in football administration since the last three decades. He was also a footballer himself during his playing career. He is believed to be an experienced administrator and has also shouldered various responsibilities in Asian Football Confederation and was awarded with the AFC gold service award for his long service to football. 

Though tough competition is expected between the two candidates, both of them confident of victory. Altogether 69 votes will be cast in the election. All 45 district associations and 12 A Division clubs will each have one voting right. Similarly, B Division clubs will have five and C Division clubs will have three votes. Besides this, referee, player, coach and women association will also have one voting right each.