ANFA also informed that it has completed all preparations for the tournament. Thirteen A division clubs, including newly-promoted Boys´ Union, along with B division runner-up Tusal, A Division District League champion Munal Club of Jhapa and B Division District League champion Deshbhakta Youth Club of Nawalparasi are participating in the tournament.[break]
"We will give Rs 50,000 to each team as preparation grant while we will also provide travel and logistics allowances to teams from outside the Kathmandu Valley," said ANFA General Secretary Dhirendra Pradhan.
ANFA President Ganesh Thapa said ANFA will include Munal, Deshbhakta Youth and Tusal Club in all its knockout tournaments of the calendar year 2070 BS. "We have included these teams in knockout tournaments as demanded by the champions of district leagues and B division clubs," said Thapa.
Thapa also informed that ANFA is planning to organize a third knockout tournament in the capital besides the Gurkha Cup and the Ncell Cup.
The winner of the Gurkha Cup will receive Rs 1 million while the runner-up will get Rs 500,000. The semifinalists will receive Rs 100,000 each. The best player of the tournament will receive a motorbike while the best players in their respective positions -- goalkeeping, forward, midfield and defense -- and the best coach will bag Rs 50,000 each.
Defending Champion Nepal Police Club will take on Munal Club in the opening match on Thursday while Simrik Saraswati Club will lock horns with Machhindra Club in another match the same day.
Gurkha Cup, which was previously known as British Gurkha Cup, is the second biggest knockout tournament of the country in terms of prize money. Ncell Cup is the biggest knockout tournament as it has a cash prize of Rs 1.5 million for the winner.
ANFA undecided about NRT
New Road Team (NRT) is the only A division club not participating in the Gurkha Cup this year. NRT had earlier pulled out from all football activities for the year 2070 BS stating that the club would focus on paying off its debt. NRT, which has a loan of Rs 17.3 million, had said that it was not able to clear its debt while playing top-tier football.
However, ANFA is yet to take an official decision on the issue. ANFA President Thapa refused to answer questions related to NRT at the press conference on Tuesday. "It is a press conference about the Gurkha Cup. I´m ready to answer it [NRT issue] any other time but not now," said Thapa, when asked why NRT is not participating in the top-tier tournament.
Even as the new season of Nepali football is beginning on Thursday with the Gurkha Cup, ANFA has neither tried to convince NRT to play nor taken any action on the club.
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