Kathmandu, Aug. 16: The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) had a clear plan for the SAFF U-20 Men’s Championship scheduled for August 18-28 in Nepal: the tournament will be played at the Kathmandu-based Dasharath Rangasala. 

Nevertheless, the poor condition of the stadium under suspension for international matches has led the authorities to move most of the tournament fixtures to the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur.

The ground conditions were far from basic due to a lack of maintenance amidst the monsoon. The difficulties during the match between Church Boys United and Paro FC on August 13 have already depicted the unfit condition of the ground.

Six South Asian teams, divided into two groups, are competing in the SAFF tournament. Host Nepal has Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Group A while Group B consists of defending champion India, Bhutan and the Maldives.

The top two teams in the groups after playing in a single round-robin format will progress to the knockout stage which will also work as the semi-final. 

“The semi-final and the final will be played in Dasharath Rangasala, which will be repaired and maintained in the upcoming days,” said Suresh Shah, ANFA’s spokesperson.

The ANFA has set the ticket price at the ANFA Complex at Rs. 200. In the matches at Dasharath Rangasala, normal tickets will cost Rs. 200 and VIPs will cost Rs. 500.

The matches will be broadcast live on Sportzworkz’s YouTube channel. 

It is the sixth edition of the SAFF U20/19 Championship. Nepal was the champion in the first and second editions in 2017 and 2019 while India has won the last three. Nepal, with an experienced team, looks forward to lifting the Cup on home turf. 

The squad of the Maldives arrived in Kathmandu for the championship on Thursday while the teams of India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan will arrive on Friday. The Bangladesh team is scheduled to land in Kathmandu on Saturday.

For the training of the visiting teams, the grounds of the Nepali Army in Bhadrakali and Lagankhel have been managed, said Spokesperson Shah. 

The ANFA has estimated a budget of Rs. 31.05 million for the tournament. 

Coordination for stadium 

The lack of coordination and dissimilarities between the ANFA and the National Sports Council has long affected the proper maintenance of Dasharath Rangasala.

The clash persists and, as a result, the stadium has not been maintained regularly. The two bodies have been fighting over the jurisdiction of the stadium. Meanwhile, the two authorities have been discussing to find a solution as the country’s only international stadium is at risk.

In a meeting between NSC member-secretary Tanka Lal Ghising and ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang on Wednesday, the ANFA was asked to submit a report on the required time to upgrade the stadium and the needed budget.

“Once a preliminary plan has been formed, the NSC will coordinate with the ANFA to upgrade the stadium back to its glory,” said Ghising.

According to President Nembang, they will collect the details after the analysis from experts and technicians.

Meanwhile, ANFA Vice President Dipak Khatiwada said the association is approaching the government to bring back the stadium’s management under its helm. “We are trying to meet with the Prime Minister regarding the management of the Dasharath Rangshala,” Khatiwada said during the press meeting of SAFF U20 on Thursday. 

During the press meet, ANFA Spokesperson Shah added that the domestic football governing body is seriously in search of lands for football stadium construction.