KATHMANDU, Sept 25: Departmental team Nepal Police Club announced on Monday its final squad for the Martyr’s Memorial A-Division League that is revived by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
Star defender Rabin Shrestha, who is nursing his knee injury aggravated at a practice match in Thailand, is omitted from the squad. Shrestha first suffered the injury last year during a match against the Philippines during AFC Asian Qualifiers at Halchowk in Kathmandu.
He was selected in the preliminary squad for the 18th Asian Games but the injury re-emerged, keeping him out of action since. He is set to miss the A-Division league.
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Experienced national team players Dinesh Rajbanshi and Bhola Silwal will lead the Police squad in the upcoming league.
Nepal Police Club has been a dominant team in the marquee football league, completing a hat-trick of championship winning three back to back editions in 2006, 2010 and 2011.
Manang-Marsyangdi Club is the current defending champion, having won the league in 2013/14, the last time the league was organized by the ANFA.
The 2018/19 Martyr’s Memorial A-Division League season will kick off on September 29. It will be the first edition of the league since 2015, as it was stalled due to internal disputes within the organizing body ANFA. In a controversial policy passed by ANFA for the new season, there will be no relegation in this edition.
However, the two bottom-placed teams will have one point deducted for the next season and will be charged with monitorial fines. A total of 14 teams, all based in the Kathmandu Valley, will contest in the league.
Squad
GoalKeepers: Arpan Karki, Roshan Khadka, Shatrudhan Chaudhary
Defenders: Ajit Bhandari, Dinesh Rajbanshi, Bikram Dhimal, Buddha Lama, Suraj Ghimire, Arbin, Man Bahadur Pariyar, Santos Hemron
Mid-fielders: Bhola Silwal, Hem Tamang, Tej Tamang, Abhisek Rizal, Dinesh Gurung, Ravi Paswan
Forwards: Suman Lama, Rejin Subba, Bharat Shah, Hari Kathayat, Nir Kumar Rai, Tirtha Bahadur Rana
