Kathmandu : An investigation committee formed by the National Sports Council to resolve the dispute between coach Abdullah Almutairi and senior vice-president Pankaj Bikram Nembang submitted a report to National Sports Council (NSC) member secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal on Wednesday. The committee submitted its report about two weeks after the statement was taken.
In the report, the committee has suggested giving various instructions to ANFA in 11 points through NSC. But after the report’s suggestion was leaked, coach Almutairi expressed his dissatisfaction on social media. Al-Mutairi expressed his dissatisfaction with the report’s suggestion by writing, “I am out, let politics work.”
Coach Almutairi had earlier written to ANFA demanding an investigation, saying the two persons had claimed to be journalists and had hurt them in an undesirable manner. While stating the investigation committee of NSC, he has also clarified in the same petition and put forward his views in various other aspects. The letter given by Almutairi during the statement and the summary of the statement given there have been received through our sources.
In his statement, Almutairi said that he has always been supported by the ANFA administration as the coach of the national team. He also mentioned that the role of the administration is important for the development of football and that ANFA has always moved forward with the goal of development.
He said that the incident of smoking against him on July 22 was a step taken to tarnish his reputation. He also mentioned that he had received information that smoking outside the ANFA premises was not illegal under Nepal’s law. He asserted that two individuals claiming to be media personnel, made an unsolicited and hostile physical approach violating his freedom and space. He also objected to an article written by two people against him on the website.
Almutairi said in a statement that after the incident, the two persons contacted him and tried to reach an agreement on the incident. Almutairi has also accused the two men of deliberately causing the incident against him.
Al-Mutairi also wrote that there was a connection between the two people involved in the incident and some ANFA officials. He understands that all these have tried to obstruct the development of Nepali football and bring down his dignity. He said it was doubtful that the same media would interview the senior vice president and that the same media would quote the former spokesman to cover Al-Mutairi’s ban when no other media knew anything such.
Almutairi also said that he did not feel safe working as the coach of the national team. He also questioned how he can give results when he does not have good security and a safe working environment. He has said he has never played a role in ANFA’s politics or power struggles. Al-Mutairi said the allegations against him citing politics were used to cover up the incident.
He countered by saying that the action of the two persons was illegal as no media outlet they claimed was registered with the Press Council of Nepal.
Al-Mutairi said in a separate article on the same website that the incident was presented differently, adding that their ill intentions were clear. He has given two examples of different versions of the story on the same website further proving the incident was diverted to tarnish his image.
According to Almutairi, the two persons came to make a report on corruption, and suddenly they changed their focus on the coach and catch him smoking. He has written that various excuses have been made to deceive him even though he is not legally wrong.
Almutairi also said that he was not in the role of coach on the day of the incident. He has made it clear that he handed coaching duty to two players of the team in a friendly match that day.
At the same time, Almutairi has provided evidence that one of the two people involved in the incident wrote a status against him on his personal Facebook four days before the incident. He also questioned whether such an incident from the same person four days after the article could be considered a coincidence. According to Almutairi, the article he wrote against him also showed that the man had bad intentions.
In the end, Almutairi said he was not protected from working in such an environment by ANFA officials. ANFA’s senior vice-president and vice-president’s comments and support to the two persons publicly on social media made him more insecure. He also questioned how many such incidents had to be faced before the fair championship in October or whether personal security could be guaranteed.
Almutairi’s letter to ANFA:
