Football is one of the major and popular sports in Nepal. It is administered by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). The current acting president of ANFA is Karma Kshiring Sherpa. The current top domestic league is the Martyrs Memorial A Division League. The Nepal national football team represents Nepal in all international competitions. Nepal Football History.
The 36 district-level FAs, various corporations, and local government bodies provide most of the support that comes in the way of ANFA, the governing body of Nepali football, in organizing nationwide tournaments throughout the year for senior clubs and various age groups. Provides support, thereby maintaining football position. a game.
ANFA
ANFA has recently introduced an annual football calendar, which includes tournaments for first division clubs as well as under-19, under-17, and under-14 youth teams. The number of football tournaments in Nepal has always been higher than the number of other sporting events. For the 2003–2004 season, ANFA organized 24 tournaments across the country and produced national and youth teams that participated in World Cup qualifying matches and the Asian Youth Championship.
In the final tournament of the season, 425 clubs, mostly amateurs, participated in the Khakuri Cup at district, regional and senior levels. About 8,000 players, half of whom were registered, played in the two-place nationwide tournament.
FIFA World Cup
Nepal has been a major participant in South Asian competitions. However, Nepal has been a very weak and less successful national team on the Asian football stage, never qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup and often failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Entry and early start of football in Nepal in 1921 during Rana’s reign. The game was introduced in Nepal by young players who learned the game from other countries. The play was seen by a large audience and became very popular at that time. However, it is believed that the pioneers of the sport in Nepal were Mr. Narayan Narsing Rana of Thamel and Chandrajang Thapa of the Naxals.
Nepal is the Best Team
There were some places, which were used as football grounds for the palace teams, such as Sujan Khanal and Murginder Shamshir Niwas Babar Mahal, Mahabir Niwas Tangal Darbar, Nar Shamshir Niwas Singha Darbar, Rudra Shamshir Niwas Bahadur Bhavan, and Thamel Nursing Camp, While in the 30s, the local and palace teams usually used the grounds of Singh Darbar, Chhuni, Gaucharan, Jola Khel and Lanchor to play football.
Despite the political instability at the time, football was enthusiastically played from 1921 to 1990 by various teams without goal posts, but the criterion was that the opposing team could take the ball to the goal line. Sometimes, they would play football on a 100/200 custard goat bet.
In 1947
In 1947, the Tribhuvan Challenge Shield was introduce by the late King Tribhuvan to promote the football game which was organize at Todikhel in front of Haribhuvan. And in this tournament Naresh-11 team led by Nar, Shamsher won the first position and the NRT team won the second position.
In the same year, Maharaja Prime Minister Padma Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana introduce the “Ram Janki Cup” which won three times in a row by the police force team. The same cup was reintroduce but rename Marty’s Memorial League Football and hence league matches were introduce in Nepal.
In the year 1947, a nationwide uprising for democracy started, due to which there was a long break in the game of football, but after the success of the tournament, public interest in football returned. Thus, to establish the football game in Nepal in an organize manner, the Football Association was establishe in the year 1951, whose first chairman was General Nar Shamsher JBR.
Best Performance
Football matches were play there regularly since 1959 after the construction of Dasarath Stadium. A memorable episode of the football match between King-11 and Prime Minister-11 teams in the year 1959 was a charity match held at Dasarath Stadium. In this match, late King Mahindra played for team King XI, and then first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala played for Prime Minister XI team. Similarly, the Mahindra Gold Cup football tournament is being organize in Biratnagar since 1961.
After this, the Nar Trophy football tournament was introduce in the year 1968 in the name of Nepal Football Association President Mar Shamsher Rana, who played a very important role in the development of the game of football. In 1968, the Football Association introduced the title of Player of the Year to honor a player who has play a role in raising the standard of football, and the best player is award a gold medal.
Gold Medal
The title of best player and the gold medal won by Baburam Pun. While Ganesh Thapa also got the same in 1978. Similarly, in the years 1981 and 1982, Ropak Raj Sharma and Suresh Panthi won the title and medal respectively. Thus, a total of four players won the title of the best player and the gold medal.
Nepal Football Team
Although Nepal has been playing football with teams from various neighboring countries. And friendly countries, the need to invite countries for competitive matches in Nepal felt only in 1979. And hence the NFA Cup football match was introduce. Kathmandu 11 won the first match of the ANFA Cup which held at Chitra. To encourage young players, the Federation of Nepal Football Association started the ANFA President’s Shield in the year 1981. In which Three Star Club won the first position.
The year 1982 was even more important for the development of football. In the same year, the 23rd Asian Youth Football Tournament (Group 1) held for the first time in Nepal. Which teams from Nepal, India, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Pakistan, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates participate. Participated. , Yemen P.D.R. and Syria participated. Therefore, a total of 13 different countries participated. Nepal Football History.
Football Organization
ANF with a view to promoting football across the country. The association started organizing football matches in four development zones from 1982 onwards. In view of improving the quality of football. It felt that there is a need for training in the game of football. And hence a training program was organize in 1982 from the 17th to 29th year called International Olympic Single Instruction Football. 25 students were train by FIFA trainers in this training. In the year 2003, for the first time, a women’s football tournament was organize. Nepal Football History.
In 1970, Nepal became a member of FIFA. And so the football game in Nepal can be divide into three phases. The first phase was from 1977 to 1983 when the game of football start in Nepal. And was play for fun. The second phase was from 1947 to 1973 which was consider. A revolutionary phase in the history of football in Nepal. And the third phase is consider from 1973 till now when the game of football has been improve, modernized, and commercialized. And even Nepalese players have been able to make it to the international standards of football. For more details click here