ANFA members unlock headquarters, call executive meeting for October 30
Eleven members led by Senior Vice-President Bir Bahadur Khadka unlocked the headquarters and called a meeting for October 30. The president and general secretary, who face charges over alleged match-fixing and fraud, were ordered released on bail.
On Wednesday, October 28 (Kartik 11), a group of 11 members of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) executive committee, led by Senior Vice-President Bir Bahadur Khadka, unlocked the association's headquarters in Satdobato. Onlinekhabar describes the group as a majority of the committee. They acted after President Pankaj Bikram Nembang did not convene a committee meeting despite a written demand submitted 22 days earlier.
Under Article 31(2) of the ANFA statute, the president must call a meeting if at least one-third of the committee members formally demand one. With the 21-day window passed, Khadka said the group would proceed on its own. According to Setopati, Khadka has called a central committee meeting for Friday, October 30 (Kartik 13), and the paper calls the move a direct challenge to Nembang. Central committee member Tikaram Lama told Onlinekhabar that the committee will write to the government, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA asking them to facilitate; Setopati adds the National Sports Council to that list.
The move comes as the association's top officials face criminal charges. Nembang and General Secretary Kiran Rai, who had been listed as absconding, gave statements at the Lalitpur District Court on Wednesday, court information officer Tika Dhwaj Karki told Onlinekhabar. The Lalitpur District Government Attorney's Office, on a recommendation from the Nepal Police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), has charged four people, Nembang and Rai among them, over alleged match-fixing and fraud (Onlinekhabar, Setopati, Ratopati). Treasurer Rabindra Joshi and accounts officer Sanjiv Pandey were already on bail.
On Wednesday evening the court ordered Nembang and Rai released on bail of Rs 500,000 each, according to Onlinekhabar and Republica. Republica notes that bail does not clear them of the allegations.
FIFA has kept ANFA suspended since June 24 (Asar 10) over third-party interference, according to Onlinekhabar and Setopati. Setopati says the suspension has affected Nepal's international participation and ANFA's operation.