News

2020-09-03

ANFA organizes review of online reporting system

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) organized the second phase of review on its online reporting system on Thursday.

The review was organized by the ANFA Technical Department and ANFA officials including chairperson, vice chairperson, general secretary, department chiefs and province and district level coaches from Province 2 and Gandaki Province took part in the discussion.

Coaches from Province 2 and Gandaki Province discussed the challenges facing them during the Covid-19 pandemic. They also explored the measures to provide coaching and fitness lessons to the players during the time when playing football on the ground was not possible due to the pandemic.

ANFA President Karma Tsering Sherpa called on the technical department and coaches to continue their communication and use the system to the fullest. "It has great potential to benefit the players as they have not been able to play due to the pandemic," said Sherpa. Sherpa said the lockdown and prohibitory period should be used to devise the footballing action plan so to strengthen the physical and mental wellbeing of the players.

Vice Chairperson Upendra Man Singh said the system would largely benefit the coaches and the players by helping them to continue their learning even when football is halted. ANFA General Secretary Indraman Tuladhar urged the coaches to assist the players get used to the use of digital tools to keep them mentally and physically fit.

ANFN Head of Coach Education Sanjeet Singh hosted the online programme.

The review of the system of Province 1 was held on Wednesday.

Read more

2020-09-02

Footballer Arik Bista recovers from Covid-19

New Road Team midfielder Arik Bista has recovered from Covid-19.

Bista had tested positive during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests conducted by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) before the training camp which was scheduled to begin from August 17. Bista spent 19 days in quarantine and another test on Friday came back negative.

The camp has now been postponed and players sent home following the postponement of FIFA World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 qualifying matches. Bista was called in the initial 34-member squad for the qualifiers.

Bista said it was stressful for him but is now feeling fully fit. "I had not felt any weakness or shown any symptoms when my swab samples came back positive. I am happy to fully recover now," said Bista.

ANFA had tested players, team officials and kitchen, cleaning and hostel staffs for Covid-19 before the training camp. All others tests had come back negative.

Read more

2020-08-28

From Terhathum to the national fold, the journey of Anita Basnet

During her early schooling years, Anita Basnet saw her school seniors playing football at her school in Terhathum district. She immediately fell in love with the game and started playing it. "There were other games too in the district but I was fascinated by football. I think it’s the beauty of the game, easy to understand and loved by all," said Basnet. Basnet, now is a household name in Nepali women's football. But her rise from a young girl who watched her seniors play to a regular in the national team has been marked by struggles and her desire to overcome them.

Basnet fell in love with the game but in a society where girls playing the game are looked upon with stigma, it was not easy for her to get going. But those hurdles soon cleared when she received good support from her family for the game. "My parents never tried to dissuade me from playing football. That helped me a lot during the early days,' said Anita.

A girl with steer determination, Basnet soon found the platform she was looking for to find her footing in the game. She had become a successful footballer in her district winning multiple local tournaments with her local club. Just before the Sixth National Games in 2012, Basnet was selected for Eastern Region after a regional selection. While playing in Biratnagar, she was spotted by Prem Shrestha, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Armed Police Force (APF). A keen football fan by himself, Shrestha asked Basnet if she would be interested to play for APF. It was a proposal she would immediately accept.

While playing for APF, a call came from the national side. Basnet made her debut for the national side in the 2014 SAFF Women's Championship in Pakistan where Nepali side was edged out by India in the final. Since then, she has made 26 appearances for the national side scoring two goals.

Basnet has also plied her trade in Maldives and India. In Maldives, she played futsal with Maldives Police team scoring 11 goals. She has also played in the Indian Women's League for Sethu FC. Basnet's team Sethu were crowned champions during her first season in 2019. They missed out on the title during her second season.

Basnet, who dons the number 11 shirt for her club and her country, said her debut goal for the national side scored against Iran in the 2019 Women's Gold Cup in India is her biggest and happiest moment of her footballing career. But she still finds it hard to swallow for not being able to win the SAFF Women's Championship with her country. Since its first edition in 2010, Nepal has reached the final in four occasions but lost to India in each of them.

The midfielder said the level and standard of Nepali football has rose but there are still plenty of areas for improvement. "The number of tournaments we play is high and that is a very positive aspect," said Basnet. Basnet said they can make a living out of football but one should not have high expectations. "Everyone including the players and the footballing body are doing what they can to improve the standard of Nepali football. But changes take time," said Basnet.

Basnet said she enjoys playing football and will enjoy the game as long as she can. "I can't think of anything except football as the game is in my veins. I will remain in the game as long as my body allows," she said. Basnet said the game has given her a name and she is very proud to identify herself as a footballer. Her parents, she said, are extremely proud of her being a footballer. "What more do I need when my parents take pride on their daughter," Basnet said with a giggle.

Read more

2020-08-14

Online Reporting System of Coaching Workshop Conducted

Online Reporting System of Coaching Workshop conduted to all of the Province.

Organized by the ANFA Technical Department, ANFA today conducted Online Reporting System of Coaching Workshop to the coaching department of Province 1 & 2.

A total of 26 coaches from Province 1 & 2, consisting of district coaches, province grassroots head, province youth head, province women's head and province coach education head joined the workshop.

The workshop comprised various topics including the coaches to awaked with system. The online system has to be updated regularly with the day-by-day footballing activities along with the photos, details of players, training venues and time.

The technical department at the ANFA Headquarter will closely monitor and analyze the coaching activities running across the country through the online system updated by the coaches.

ANFA Technical Director Gary Phillips, Co-ordinator of Grassroots and Youth Department and ANFA Vice President Upendra Man Singh, Sanjeet Singh (Head of Coach Education), Nabin Maharjan (Head of Elite Youth Program), Hari Khadka (Head of Women's Department) and Manoj Ranjit (Grassroots Manager) conducted the workshop.

FIFA technical consultant Mr.Chokey Nima was the Special Guest of the workshop today.

The ANFA had earlier conducted the workshop to Province 5,6 and 7 on August 10 and for Province 3 & 4 on August 12.

Read more