Kathmandu, June 1

The All Nepal Football Association and AP1 Television today reached an agreement regarding the sponsorship, marketing and broadcasting of the football tournaments throughout the country.

As per the memorandum of understanding signed by ANFA President Narendra Thapa and Managing Director of AP1 Laxmi Prasad Paudel, the football governing body will receive the amount of 10.75 million per year, while AP1 will be responsible of getting sponsors for the ANFA-organised tournaments apart from marketing and transmission of the events.

“The agreement is for three years and we have taken it as a milestone in Nepali football,” said ANFA President Shrestha. “As we have handed over the responsibility of marketing and sponsorship to AP1 TV, we will be able to make plans for the development of football,” he added. The deal, however, excludes the Coca-Cola Cup and Ncell Cup tournaments. “We will do these tournaments on our own,” he added.

Asked about the ‘A’ Division League which has been stalled for the last three years, Shrestha said the ANFA would sit with the clubs for a meeting and announce the dates at the earliest. “Now that we do not need to find the sponsors, we will organise the league after consulting with the clubs.”

AP1 TV MD Paudel said his team would work towards taking the standard of football to the next level. “We will not be able to develop the sport with the traditional working ways. We will have to work differently and we are committed to do that,” he said. “We might not be able to match the international standard of broadcasting as done during World Cup, English Premier League and Indian Premier League, but we will definitely give our best to change the taste of our viewers,” added Paudel.