KATHMANDU, Aug 9: The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has revoked its decision to sack former national team captain Raju Kaji Shakya from the post of assistant coach, following widespread criticisms.
ANFA’s spokesperson Kiran Rai on Wednesday said that Shakya is not sacked, but his responsibility with the national team is changed.
“Shakya’s case stirred many criticisms inside and outside the ANFA. Therefore, we held consultation with ANFA officials including the president to make an official view on this case. In fact, the ANFA had not sacked Shakya, but appointed Bal Gopal Maharjan as the national team assistant coach as his replacement,” Rai said. “The ANFA has asked Shakya to coach other teams as needed.”
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“According to the agreement, the ANFA can ask him to coach any among the national team, age group teams, women’s team, and the academy, or conduct any other technical training,” Rai further added.
Rai also added that the ANFA will ask Shakya for clarification about all the criticisms in the media on this matter. “It has been said that he will be asked about the things he said to the media in this regard,” Rai added. “Along with that, the role he will be given will also be discussed in the coming days.”
Shakya had signed one-year contract with the ANFA in December last year with the clause of handling the Nepal national team including the U-23 team. But after the ANFA got the new leadership of Karma Tshering Thapa, who was elected as the president from the General Assembly in May, the association blocked Shakya’s salary. The football governing body also appointed Maharjan, another national player, as the assistant coach.
Shakya has not been officially sacked yet. But, Sherpa had told the media that a person cannot take salaries from two places, mentioning that Shakya was also an employee at the National Sports Council (NSC). Sherpa added that it was against the law of the country.
However, after realizing that Shakya had retired from the NSC, Sherpa changed his tone and told a television channel: “Now as we are in-charge, we will make our own team.”
Shakya was an integral part of the team when Nepal won its first gold medal in the South Asian Games in 1984. Nepal also won the gold for the second time under the captaincy of Shakya in 1993. Likewise, Nepal won the first-ever official tournament, AFC Solidarity Cup, under the management of Shakya in 2016. Nepali football team has won three gold medals so far in the history of the South Asian Games (SAF, now known as SAG).
Shakya, who contributed to Nepal’s win four times, as a player and a coach, had expressed his sadness stating “I regret playing football”, after he was sacked by the new leadership of the ANFA.
After that comment from Shakya, one of the evergreen heroes of Nepali football, there were criticisms against the ANFA from all quarters.
