KATHMANDU, Sept 20: Former captain of Nepali national football team Uprendra Man Singh has announced his candidacy for the post of vice president of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Monday.

Organizing a press meet at the semi covered hall of the National Sports Council, Tripureshwar, Singh said that his vice presidential candidacy is for development of Nepali football and to represent the voices of the entire football players, coaches, referees and other people, who have devoted their lives for Nepali football, in the policy-making level of ANFA.

Singh, who is also the president of All Nepal Football Players' Association (ANFPA), is a common candidate of National Football Coaches' Association (NFCA), National Football Referees' Association (NFRA) and his own association for the upcoming ANFA election to be held on October 24.

“To take the development of Nepali football to a new height by resolving the existing issues, all three organizations - ANFPA, NFCA, NFRA - proposed my name for the post of vice president of ANFA and I accepted the offer,” Singh said during the press meet.

Earlier, the joint meeting of ANFPA, NFCA, NFRA had proposed Raju Kaji Shakya for the post of vice president but Shakya couldn't accept the offer due to busy coaching schedule and his personal issues. The meeting then offered the proposal to Surendra Shikhrakar, president of NFRA, but he also declined it as he is a government officer and can't take part in the election. 

Then, the offer was given to Upendra Man Singh. “Our joint meeting proposed Raju Kaji Shakya and Surendra Shikhrakar for the post of vice president as both of them are senior to me. When both were unable to accept the offer, I was proposed as the candidate for vice president,” clarified Singh. 

Former national coach Raju Kaji Shakya said that Singh has his full support for the post of vice president. “I was unable to accept the proposal when my friends proposed for the post of vice president due to my own personal reasons so we all decided to make Upendra Man Singh our common candidate,” said former national team star Shakya. 

Surendra Shikhrakar said that all three associations of players, coaches and referees are united for the development of Nepali football. 

“We think Upendra is the right guy to develop Nepali football and to make ANFA transparent,” added Shikhrakar. “We want to groom Upendra as a leader to lead Nepali football and ANFA for years to come.  So this election is the right chance for him.”

When asked why he wants to be vice president whose tenure will be for less than a year, Singh said, “Lailt Krishna Shrestha was a visionary person, he contributed a lot to Nepali football. After his demise, post of vice president is vacant and I don't want any unfit person be in that position. So I want to be the vice president to honor that post and Lalit Krishna Shrestha.”

Singh, who is an independent candidate, said that there is no any agreement with any panel at this moment over potential coordination in the election.

However, he said that there have been discussions over that subject in the joint meeting among the three associations. 

“I played professional football for many years. I have experience of coaching and experience of management. I am also working in the team management of Madhyapur Youth Association. So I think these things make me perfect candidate,” Singh said when asked whether he has enough experience to be at top post of ANFA.

The ANFA is holding the election for the vacant posts of president and vice president as Ganesh Thapa was suspended as ANFA president last year while vice president Lalit Krishna Shrestha passed away about a year ago.

 
• upendra man singh
 
• all nepal football association
 
• anfa presidency elections