Himalayan News Service

Lalitpur, April 14:

All Nepal Football Association today released its annual calendar for the year 2062 BS, including 36 ambitious national and international programmes. The year begins with the most-hyped AFC President’s Cup, which will be held in Kathmandu from May 4-14. Three Star Club will take part in the inaugural edition of the national league champion clubs’ tournament also including Bhutan, Tajikistan, Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Cambodia.

Apart from the high-profile tournament, ANFA has included a couple of new programmes in the calendar — 11-month long Football Training Programme for the 11-15 age group players in 37 districts; inter-corporation football tournament; and Ratna Cup in memory of Queen Mother. ANFA, from this year, has also changed the date for Martyrs’ Memorial ‘A’ Division League due to past years’ bad experience with the weather. Introducing the double league, ANFA has scheduled the league from August 26-October 6, and the next phase from November 7-December 8.

In international competitions, Nepal will take part in third BKSP U-16 tournament in Bangladesh from June 20-June 30; Subroto Mukherjee Cup (U-14, U-16) to be held in New Delhi in August/September; AFC Youth (U-17) Championship qualifying round to be held in Kathmandu from November 13-17, and AFC Youth (U-19) Championship qualifying round in Tajikistan from November 23-27; SAF Championship in Pakistan from December 7-17; AFC Challenge Cup in January-March, 2006; AFC U-14 Festival of Football (date and venue to be decided by AFC later). ANFA released the calendar at a programme organised to mark the New Year 2062. National Sports Council’s care-taker member secretary Kishor Bahadur Singh, ANFA president Ganesh Thapa, ANFA general secretary Kumar Jung Thapa, ANFA spokesman Lalit Krishna Shrestha, and general secretary of Nepal Sports Journalists Forum Hemanta Kafle spoke on the occasion.