Himal Press 
POKHARA: The Kaski district chapter of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has boycotted the province-level U-16 football selection tournament, citing inadequate coordination with it by the organizers.
The Gandaki Provincial Committee of ANFA is organizing a two-day selection tournament at the Pokhara Stadium from Sunday to choose local players for the U16-National Selection Tournament. The national selection event to be held in Kathmandu will select the Nepali team for the SAFF U-16 Championship to be held in Bhutan from September 1 to 11.
Sridhar Sharma, the Member Secretary of the Provincial Sports Council, Gandaki, inaugurated the two-day selection competition organized by ANFA Gandaki on Sunday.
Ujjwal Ranjit, the President of ANFA Kaski, said that they did not send players for the provincial-level selection because of a lack of coordination from the provincial committee. On the other hand, Binod Gurung, General Secretary of ANFA Gandaki, claimed that they had sent letters to all 11 district chapters, requesting them to send players.
Ranjit said the ANFA Kaski instead will send a list of 22 players for the national selection to be held in Kathmandu. However, it remains uncertain whether these players will be allowed to participate in the national selection.
Provincial Sports Council Member Secretary Gautam said that personal ego issues should not be allowed to affect the future of young players. He said that the District Sports Development Committee would seek clarification from ANFA Kaski.
Ranjit had earlier defeated Gurung in the election for district presidency. Gurung, however, is leading the Gandaki Province Committee of ANFA. This is said to have strained the relationship between ANFA Kaski and the provincial committee.
Meanwhile, more than 200 young footballers from various districts, including Gorkha, Baglung, Nawalpur, Parbat, Manang, Tanahun, Syangja, Myagdi, and Lamjung, participated in the selection competition on Sunday.
