“According to Article 7(g) of the Sports Council regulations, every sports federation must hold a general assembly within three months following the fiscal year-end, conduct periodic elections every four years, and such elections require approval from the Sports Council,” the rulebook states.
News Summary
- The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has scheduled an early election date within nine days without approval from the National Sports Council (NSC).
- According to the National Sports Development Act 2077, sports federations must obtain council approval before holding elections.
- NSC Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta stated that federations ignoring council directives will face legal action.
4 Chaitra, Kathmandu – Defying directives from the National Sports Council (NSC), the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has set a date for early elections within the next nine days.
The National Sports Regulations 2079 mandates that sports federations must obtain NSC approval before conducting elections.
“The federation bylaws must require that each sports body holds a general assembly within three months of fiscal year-end, hold periodic elections every four years, and secure council approval prior to such elections,” reads Article 7(g) of the regulations.
However, ANFA has chosen to disregard this rule, citing FIFA and AFC regulations, thereby violating Nepal’s Sports Act by setting an election date without NSC consent. NSC Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta remarked, “ANFA has unlawfully violated the council’s directive; legal actions will proceed accordingly.”
Last year, in Poush, the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) conducted its assembly without government consent. The NSC had warned that amendments extending tenure are prohibited under the Sports Development Act 2077 and sought to halt the assembly via correspondence. The Supreme Court had also issued an order to stop the assembly. Despite this, Jeevan Ram Shrestha amended the bylaws and assumed leadership of the NOC for a third term.
Shrestha openly disregarded orders from both the NSC and the court, sparking disputes between the then Ministry of Youth and Sports and the NOC. Then Minister Tej Lal Chaudhary shut down the NOC headquarters and formed an interim committee. Chaudhary publicly complained that many sports federations do not comply with laws and regulations, a trend which persists.
Dr. Madhusudan Subedi, a board member of the NSC, stated that weak regulatory bodies have made it difficult to control sports federations. He explained, “Board members who regulate federations often come from different sports federations themselves, making it challenging to enforce standards effectively.”
From current Secretary Tank Lal Ghising to Yugraj Lama, most have connections with various sports federations, resulting in conflicting interests, Subedi pointed out.
“When secretaries responsible for regulation are affiliated with federations, inherent conflicts of interest naturally arise, weakening regulatory enforcement,” he added.
The Sports Development Act’s Section 26 requires national sports federations and associations to register with the NSC to obtain official national recognition. However, some federations operate freely without such registration.
Although the Act stipulates only one federation per sport, Nepal has multiple federations for certain sports, violating the Act. Examples include the Nepal Para Olympic Committee and the National Para Olympic Committee, both operating simultaneously. The National Para Olympic Committee is registered with the NSC, while the Nepal Para Olympic Committee is not.
The Act recognizes only council-registered committees, leading to ongoing disputes between these competing para Olympic bodies, occasionally visible on the sports field.
The NSC finds it impossible to regulate these unregistered groups, which have also failed to develop athletes effectively. Secretary Mehta affirmed that no federation ignoring the Sports Act will be granted any leniency. “We are committed to fully implementing the rules and laws. Federations that defy council directives will face penalties,” he stated.
The majority of conflicts peaked during the tenure of former Sports Minister Tej Lal Chaudhary, who, without consulting the NSC, moved to register amendments to the Sports Development Act in parliament to regulate sports federations.
The former minister noted a prevalent trend in Nepalese sports where the same individual leads a federation for 15 to 20 years.
“Long tenures for individuals in sports federations are common. While the Act encourages regular general assemblies, the federations challenge our laws,” he said.
Chaudhary shared his experience that attempts to enforce the Sports Act often provoke disputes among federations.
Intervention by Minister and Secretary Deepens Crisis in Sports Federations
Many sports federations consider themselves autonomous and argue against government interference, sometimes violating their own statutes. At the same time, the government actively blocks or suspends individuals perceived as unfavorable.
Yugraj Lama, President of the Nepal Karate Federation, said unnecessary interference by the Sports Ministry and NSC Secretary has widened the gap between sports federations and the council.
He described a tendency within the ministry and council to halt elections or issue misleading directives if their preferred candidates are not appointed.
“The institutions responsible for law enforcement must first abide by the law themselves,” he questioned. “Is it appropriate to demand proper elections from federations while simultaneously sending letters to stop them?”
Lama asserted that both the NSC and sports federations share blame for the current situation. “Ninety percent of the blame lies with the ministry and NSC, and the remaining ten percent with political party members,” he concluded.
