Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The National Sports Council (NSC) has lifted the suspension imposed on the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
The decision was made following a meeting among Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pakharel, NSC Member Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta, the minister’s sports advisor Siddhi Byanjankar, and ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, Treasurer Rabindra Joshi, and Spokesperson Suresh Shah.
The NSC suspended ANFA for three months on March 26 after the national football association decided to hold an early election, violating the NSC’s instructions. The suspension brought all football activities to a grinding halt.
The decision comes in the wake of pressure from global football bodies, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to revoke the suspension.
Endorsing ANFA’s plan for an early election, ANFA and AFC had warned that if the government, specifically the NSC, did not lift its suspension on ANFA, FIFA and the AFC could move to suspend Nepal, which would lead to loss of all membership rights, including participation in international competitions, access to development funds, and sporting relations with other member associations.
