Nepali football players and coach held over match-fixing charge

Kathmandu / October 14: If you are a Nepali football fan and always praised the contribution of football players despite their weak performance and always advocating for providing supportive environment to the players for better performance here is a shocking news for you. Captain of Nepal National Football Team Sagar Thapa along with four footballers and a coach were arrested over match-fixing charge.

A squad of Kathmandu Metropolitan Crime Division arrested national team skipper Thapa with football players Bikash Singh Kshetry, Ritesh Thapa, Sandeep Rai and coach Anjan KC.

They have been arrested for bringing slur to the name of the country being involved in match-fixing in international football tournaments, said Metropolitan Crime Division Chief SSP Sarbendra Khanal.

The police said that they had weakened the status of the country in football tournaments played with the countries including Afghanistan and Iraq on the financial temptation.

Skipper Thapa and Rai are affiliated with Three Star Club, while Chhetri and KC were with the same club earlier. Goalkeeper Thapa is associated is affiliated with Nepal Police Club. Thapa duo had debuted for the national team in 2003, KC in 2005, and Rai and Chhetri in 2008.

SSP Sarbendra Khanal, the chief of MPCD, said that the arrests were made after receiving complaints and tip-offs that the five were involved in match-fixing of national and international games.

“They are accused of making quick bucks through match-fixing in cahoots with national and international bookies and fixers, and hurting the faith of fans and fellow countrymen,” SSP Khanal said.

Police are looking into the allegations and are also trying to ascertain which laws would be applicable against their alleged offences, which, according to SSP Khanal, were tantamount to organised crimes against the state. (RSS and photo courtesy: The Himalayan Times)