KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Ten Grade A footballers drew maximum bids in the Nepal Super League auction here today.

Lalitpur City FC bought three players - Sesehang Angdembe, Dinesh Henjan and Sanish Shrestha - for Rs 350,000 each, while Simanta Thapa and Sudip Gurung (Birgunj United FC), Laken Limbu (Jhapa FC), Kritish Ratna Chhunju (Dhangadhi FC), Ashish Gurung (Sporting Mechi de Ilam), Chiring Gurung (FC Chitwan) and Dipesh Gurung (Kathmandu RayZrs) also earned the maximum bids.

Out of the 27 Grade A footballers, national team midfielder Laken Limbu was the most sought after player after all nine clubs put a maximum bid for him. Jhapa FC got him in a lucky draw. Another national team member, Sanish Shrestha got bids from eight clubs and Lalitpur City FC snapped him in a lucky draw.

The footballers were divided into three grades - A, B and C. The minimum price of Grade A players was Rs 150,000 thousand, while the price of Grade B players ranged from Rs 100,000 to Rs 150,000. Similarly, the price of Grade C players was minimum Rs 80,000 and maximum Rs 130,000. The participating clubs are also allowed to sign a maximum of six foreign players.

The clubs have already announced their marquee THT players - Hishub Thapaliya (Kathmandu RayZrs), Anant Tamang (Lalitpur City FC), Vishal Shrestha (FC Chitwan), Ashish Chaudhary (Dhangadhi), Arik Bista (Butwal), Ayush Ghalan (Pokhara), Anjan Bista (Jhapa), Bikesh Kuthu (Sporting Mechi de Ilam) and Deep Karki (Birgunj).

A total of nine franchise teams are competing in the second edition of the NSL, which will start on November 24. After Biratnagar City FC pulled out of the tournament, the organisers included three new teams - Jhapa FC, Birgunj United FC and Sporting Mechi de Ilam - in the nine-team competition for the second edition of the tournament. Six teams competed in the first edition.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 1, 2023, of The Himalayan Times