| ashu |
Posted
on 17-Apr-01 11:18 PM
> Press Release
>
> Date: 17 April 2001
> RE: Congratulations to national football team and condemnation of Nepal TV
> and ANFA
>
> The Nepal Football Fan Club (NFFC) congratulates Nepal’s national football
> team for winning its first ever World Cup qualifying match after they
> defeated Macau 4 – 1 in Iraq yesterday.
>
> This is a momentous occasion for Nepali football, Nepali sports and most
> importantly the over 23 million Nepali football fans around the globe.
>
> On this momentous day, there is however a great air of sadness for the
> millions of Nepali football fans who have been gravely deprived of viewing
> this historic occasion due to the incompetence and apathy of All Nepal
> Football Association (ANFA) and Nepal Television (NTV). They have also
been
> subject to inadequate and inept coverage of Nepal’s participation in the
> world’s most famous and important sporting event by all sectors of the
local
> media. What is the purpose of Nepal spending so much money and
participating
> in such events, if the Nepali public and sports fans are completely
deprived
> of viewing and following Nepal’s teams and athletes?
>
> The NFFC condemns NTV and ANFA for their irresponsibility, stupidity and
> negligence by not thinking about the Nepali football fans. The ongoing
ANFA
> feud is no excuse for not being able to show the games live on Nepal
> Television.
>
> If the Nepali public is not able to view the games of its national team
> then its national team should not be participating in the first place!
What
> value do Nepalis get for spending millions of Rupees of their hard earned
> money to send a football team overseas if they are not properly able view
or
> cherish the moments? Football is not for ANFA or 22 players – it is for
the
> fans!
>
> The World Cup qualifiers provided a perfect opportunity for the struggling
> Nepal TV to bring in much revenue and boost its ratings by broadcasting
> Nepal’s football matches and also a perfect vehicle of bringing much joy
and
> solidarity to a beleaguered nation, but once again NTV has shown its total
> ineptness. Perhaps they are too busy finding a new Hindi program to
> broadcast at a prime time slot?
>
> Both ANFA and NTV have now continually proven that they do not care about
> the general public, but only themselves!
>
> The NFFC demands that ANFA and Nepal Television do its utmost in attaining
> the complete footage of Nepal’s historic victory and air it promptly.
>
> The World Cup is the world’s biggest, most popular and most decorated
> tournament and for a country like Nepal, which lacks a strong footballing
> pedigree, a maiden victory is a historic achievement.
>
> Tribute must be laid upon our national team, coaches and players for
> persevering and achieving such a great feat despite the ongoing feud
within
> the ANFA which has nearly crippled football in Nepal, the
unprofessionalism
> and apathetic nature of Nepali football clubs, the lack of government
> support, and the complete disarray that exists within the Nepal Sports
> Council (NSC) and the national sporting sector as a whole.
>
> The NFFC hopes that the achievement of our football team will be a
harbinger
> of things to come in Nepali football and demands that ANFA resolves its
> dispute swiftly and also calls on Nepali football clubs to run themselves
in
> a professional manner. We also call on all sponsors and Nepali football
fans
> to do their part by supporting Nepali football and being more proactive
and
> demanding concrete reform and results from the Nepali government, football
> clubs, NSC and ANFA.
>
> Nepal’s victory in the World Cup is a significant milestone and an
important
> step in the right direction for Nepali football and sports. Let it not be
an
> aberration and let us all use it as a catalyst to move the country
forward.
>
> Nepal Football Fan Club
> Maharajgunj, Chakra Path
> PO BOX # 5235, Kathmandu, Nepal
> URL: www.bhakundo.org.np
> Email: nffc@himal.enet.com.np
> Voice +977-1-373458
> Fax 1-413-208-4437
>
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