Lalitpur, May 5

The 16th Elective General Assembly of All Nepal Football Association today elected the 17-member executive committee under the leadership of Karma Tsering Sherpa.

Out of the 76 votes, Sherpa garnered 63 votes, while his opponent Mani Kunwar earned 12. One vote was invalid, while Kanchanpur District FA President Ganesh Chand did not take part in the congress. Kunwar and Chand, who was also the candidate for the post of vice-president, had on Friday announced their decision of not taking part in the congress.

The congress was scheduled for March 28 but the election committee postponed that after Patan High Court issued interim order reacting to the writ petition filed by Makawanpur and Bhanktapur FAs. The election committee resumed the process and set the date for today after Patan High Court vacated the order and elections were held in Makawanpur and Bhanktapur FAs.

Kunwar and Chand decided to stay away from the congress claiming that the announcement of the congress date by election committee was against the statute of the ANFA. Chand had moved the Kathmandu district court on Thursday demanding interim order to stop the elections but the court said there was no need to issue the order as the process was the continuation after a break following the order from Patan High Court.

The congress was possible after ANFA President Narendra Shrestha instructed the election committee to announce the date. Shrestha had been at the helm of the football governing body for the last one-and-half years after he defeated Sherpa in the special AGM which was held after the then president Ganesh Thapa was suspended by the FIFA on corruption charges. Kunwar had defeated Kumar Khati in the vice-president’s elections which was held to fill the post following the death of Lalit Krishna Shrestha.

Sherpa panel was able to clean sweep the elections winning all four vice-presidents and 11 members. Pankaj Bikram Nemwang, Upendra Man Singh, Krishna Thapa and Bir Bahadur Khadka were elected as vice-presidents. Nemwang got the highest 61 votes, while former national team skipper Singh garnered 56 votes. Thapa earned 52 votes and Khadka got 39 votes.

A total of nine contestants were in race for four vice-president posts. Kishor Rai, who supported the Sherpa panel, had announced his withdrawal although his candidacy stood as his decision came after the end of the withdrawal period. Birat Jung Shahi got 33 votes from the Kunwar-led panel, while Sunil SJB Rana got 24 votes and Mohmad Samiullah received 15 votes. Chand got five votes despite not taking part in the elections.

Out of the 29 contestants in the race for 11 Members, Dawa Lama received the highest 56 votes, while Purna Man Chitrakar, Dinesh Byanjankar and Tirtha Bahadur KC got 55 votes apiece. Similarly, Bijay Ghale garnered 53 votes, Niroj Khadgi got 52 votes and Kiran Rai got 50 votes. Ratna Kumar Shrestha, Madhu Sudan Upadhyay and Pradesh Singh Rathor earned 48 votes each and Rabindra Nath Shrestha got 42 votes.

Ramesh Raymajhi (19), Suresh Shah (14), Purushottam Thapa (22), Bal Kumar Sawa (12), Praveen Kumar Yadav (14), Deepak Khatiwada (22), Ashok Bista (one), Bhimsen KC (19), Santosh Bhakta Rajlawat  (no vote), Anil Malla (16), Pralahad Prasad Sah (nine), Rajendra Kumar Shrestha (three), Mandev Hajara (14), Mahendra Prakash Giri (one), Promod Hamal (one), Lawa Khatri (26) and Mohan Kumar Basnet (zero) were other candidates in the race. Pema Lama

had already been elected unanimously as the women member.

Sherpa said his team was elected through the democratic process and he needed support from all. “It is like a 90-minute football match, everything is over after the final whistle. We will move ahead with the support of all, including those who lost in the elections today,” he said. Sherpa said his priority would be to organise league and other activities. “We will hold meeting on Monday and take decisions regarding the league and other important issues,” he added.