TheAll Nepal Football Association (ANFA) (Nepali: अखिल नेपाल फुटबल संघ (एन्फा)) is the governing body offootball in Nepal. It is responsible for themen's andwomen's national teams as well as club competitions. The organisation was founded in 1951 as the All Nepal Football Association and became affiliated withFIFA in 1972. The current President of ANFA is Pankaj Bikram Nembang. Its current headquarters is located in the ANFA House inANFA Complex, Satdobato.
The entry and initial start-up of football came in Nepal during the Rana regime in 1921. The game was introduced in Nepal by the young players who had learnt this game from other countries. Games was watched by a huge mass of audience and became very famous at that time. However, it is believed that the pioneer of this game in Nepal wasNarayan Narsingh Rana of Thamel and Chandrajung Thapa of Naxal.
There were some places, which were used as football ground for palace teams, such as Sujan Khanal, Mrigendra Shamsher Niwas Babarmahal, Mahabir Niwas Tangal Palace, Narshamsher Niwas Singha Durbar, Rudra Shamsher Niwas Bhahadur Bhavan, and Thamel Narsingh camp. Whereas in the 1930s, both local and palace teams commonly used the grounds of Singhdarbar, Chhauni, Gaucharan, Jawalakhel and Lainchaur for playing football. Despite political instability at that time football was played enthusiastically during 1921 to 1990 by various teams without goal posts, but the criterion was that the opponent team could follow the ball to the goal line.[citation needed]
Football development in Nepal had only been possible when ANFA started working from root level. Keeping this in mind, ANFA has given its work priority for building fundamental material for the association. Firstly, ANFA has built a hostel inSatdobato, Lalitpur which has shown their dedication toward the development of football in Nepal by opening an ANFA office with a playground. This work of ANFA has been appreciated everywhere. Before starting a major project, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) provided ANFA an opportunity to represent as a model in FIFA congress. ANFA has built technical centers (or football academies) inChyasal ofLalitpur,Butwal,Rupandehi,Sunsari andDharan under the roof of the FIFA Goal project. Similarly, ANFA has planned to open technical centers in the Mid-Western and Far-Western development regions of Nepal in the future.
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