The referees have resigned after the ANFA pressured the referees to take a fitness test during the Qatar Airways Martyrs' Memorial A Division League. He reached ANFA Complex and submitted his resignation to General Secretary Indraman Tuladhar.
The referees who last gave the fitness test on September 23 were instructed by ANFA to give another test on December 23. The referee has demanded that if the test cannot be given while the league is going on and if it has to be done, the league should be stopped and preparation time should be given. A referee informed that the ANFA leadership had resigned as they were not ready for the demand.
In previous years, fitness tests were conducted once a year, but this time the pressure on the referee has increased after the appointment of Gautam Kaur as the referee director. "Despite our request, ANFA chairman Zhou accused us of factionalism and politics," he said. "While we have taken our problems away, we have no choice but to resign after being treated by ANFA in a way that hurts our self-esteem," he adds.
Kaur was appointed as the referee director of ANFA three and a half months ago. But his appointment was not without controversy. The way was blocked for other international applicants after the referee director demanded that Kaur should be the match commissioner. Kaur had been putting unnecessary pressure on ANFA since she came to Nepal. Even during the ongoing league in the capital, he has been interfering unnecessarily during the conduct of the match.
"We are ready to do our job if we are assured that such behavior will not happen again," said one of the referee. It is said that Unal Malla, one of the FIFA assistant referees who is not in Kathmandu, gave his verbal consent.
READ ALSO: