Kathmandu, August 20

All Nepal Football Association and Turnpike Events Pvt Ltd signed the five-year sponsorship agreement for Futsal National League here today.

ANFA President Narendra Shrestha and Turnpike Events Executive Director Ukesh Lohani inked the Memorandum of Understanding amidst a programme. As per the agreement, Turnpike will bear two-third of the expense of the league from 2017 to 2021, while ANFA will manage the remaining amount. The estimated cost for the futsal leagues for five years is Rs 22.5 million. Turnpike will provide the ANFA with Rs 15 million, while the football governing body will bear Rs 7.5 million.

ANFA Futsal Committee has estimated the budget of three million rupees for this year’s league which will be held from August 25 to September 10. ANFA Futsal Committee President Ramesh Rayamajhi informed that the committee would register teams for the league till August 20. The matches of the league will be played at the Chaur Recreation Centre in Budhanilkantha and Stupa Sports Hub in Bouddha.

Rayamajhi informed the league would also serve as the selection tournament for the AFC Futsal Championship 2018 Qualification to be held in Iran from October 13-22. “A total of 25 players will be picked up from the league and they will be trained for a month,” said Rayamajhi, who is also the Member of ANFA.

Nepal are in Group A along with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan in the South and Central Zone, while hosts Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan are in Group B.  This is the first occasion that Nepal are competing in the qualifiers of the AFC Futsal Championship.

Meanwhile, ANFA President Shrestha hoped that the agreement would be beneficial for the development of futsal in the country. “The five-year agreement is important for the development of futsal as we have been organising the official league for the first time in the country,” said Shrestha. “We get funds for futsal events from FIFA and AFC and the ANFA will use that budget in the league.”

Similarly, Executive Director of Turnpike Lohani said his company’s target was to develop football through futsal. “We were moving ahead with the aim of contributing for the development of football in the country. For now, we are putting in our efforts to develop futsal. And our ultimate aim is to contribute in the development of football,” said Lohani.