ANFA to train, prepare 100 U-13 boys and girls for internationals

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 4: The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is currently communicating with the parents of 75 boys and 25 girls selected for ANFA Academies. 

The 100 children progressed to the platform after overcoming district, provincial and central-level selections conducted by respective football associations.

The ANFA, on Monday, revealed the list of 75 boys and 25 girls selected for the Academy. 

“There were more boys than girls who progressed to the central-level selections. There were over 700 boys from seven provinces who came to Kathmandu for the final selections,” said Nabin Neupane, Head of Academies at ANFA.

The selected children hail from over 35 districts across the country, including Jumla. Meanwhile, there is only one boy selected from Jumla; alongside another boy from Surkhet, two boys have been selected from Karnali Province. 

Nevertheless, the majority of the children who got into the Academy are from Jhapa, an Easternmost district with an extreme craze for football.

According to Neupane, the selected children’s parents are being communicated with by the ANFA to manage them in three different academies.

“The selected children will be trained at three academies. While the Academy in Dharan will be feasible for the children from the East, the one in Butwal will be a good destination for those from the West. Regarding the ones in the central region, they will be trained in Sisneri,” said Neupane.

Similarly, the ANFA will not only train the children in football but cover their education, food and lodging as well. 

“The children will be trained to represent the country in the future. There are many global platforms for U-15, U-17 and U-19 footballers and we look forward to preparing the selected U-13 children for those tournaments,” said Neupane.

Neupane added, “A professional footballer is prepared from an early age. We need skilled, well-trained and experienced footballers in the senior squad. It is possible if we train and retain skilled footballers from their childhood.”