Nepali football is at a standstill after the country was suspended by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Not only have football activities come to a halt, but people dependent on the sport have also been affected.
Four football academies in Nepal are being operated under FIFA’s Goal Project. With the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) suspended, more than 100 children at these academies are facing uncertainty. “Students who used to eat chickpeas and eggs before going to training now have to make do with tea and biscuits. We are running everything on credit, from school fees to groceries,” an academy employee said.
There are 21 students at the academy located at ANFA headquarters in Satdobato, Lalitpur. The children had previously been based in Sisneri, Makwanpur. However, after six players died in a flood and landslide two years ago, they were moved to Hetauda and later relocated to Satdobato.
With funds no longer being received from ANFA, the academy is now struggling to provide food and education for the children. ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah acknowledged that the association has been unable to provide players with the supplies they require.
“The players have a routine, including their diet and meals, but things are not the same as before. There are some problems. Nevertheless, we are still running the academies,” he said. Shah said it costs around Rs 200,000 a week to operate the Lalitpur academy alone, but funds cannot currently be transferred due to the suspension. The situation is similar at other academies. The Butwal academy has 30 students, two coaches and four to five staff members. Acting director Shankar Malla said he has been running the academy by taking loans.
“Schools are now saying they need the fees before Dashain. It has also been more than three months since we paid the grocery store. They will no longer extend credit. The problem is serious. The children are constantly falling ill,” he said. “The staff are also complaining because they have not received their salaries.”
Despite the shortage of funds, Malla said the academy was still meeting the students’ basic needs. “Training is continuing. They are also attending school. We have not cut back on anything. We are trying to manage things as best we can. We have not allowed the children to see the problems we are facing. Since we are responsible for the academy, we are finding ways to manage,” he said.
Malla fears the situation could become more serious if the problems are not resolved by September. “When we call ANFA, they tell us there is nothing for now and ask us to keep things running. They say we will receive our pending bills once the suspension is lifted,” he said. The academy in Rautahat, which has 29 children, is facing a similar situation. With no funds coming from ANFA, its operators have been forced to take loans in their own names to keep the academy running. Bhagwan Darlami, coordinator of the academy, said it is also operating entirely on credit.
“Everything is on credit. We are running it by assuring people in the market that we will pay them,” he said. “We hope the government can resolve the situation as soon as possible so that the children can quickly receive the services and facilities they are entitled to. It would also help Nepali football regain momentum.”
According to Kishor Rai, president of the Dharan academy, the academy there has not faced the same difficulties as the other three. Local partnerships have helped the academy, which has 30 players, continue operating without major problems.
“Our municipality allocates a regular budget. The provincial government also provides some funding, and we have supporting donors. We are managing by getting a little from everyone,” Rai said. “ANFA also provides us with a small amount of money through a partnership.”
‘The government has asked us not to conduct any activities’
ANFA, which has been responsible for providing resources to the academies, says it has been unable to support them because the government has instructed it to halt its activities. ANFA spokesperson Shah said the suspension has prevented the association from providing financial support to the academies. He said the academies have not received funds for the past two to three months.
“Since everything ANFA was supposed to send, including funds, has been stopped, there has been no question of sending money. The government has also told us not to carry out any activities,” he said. Tika Lama, an ANFA central member and president of the Makwanpur District Football Association, said the government needs to take the operation of the academies seriously.
“The government needs to think seriously about this. Players should not go hungry. Once you take responsibility, you have to fulfil your obligations. This is my question to the prime minister and the sports minister,” he said.
