Some big names unsold in 1st phase auction for 3rd NSL

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 23: The first phase of the players’ auction for the third season of the Nepal Super League (NSL) concluded on Saturday with 16 players, including some big names, remaining unsold. 

Termed as the mini-auction, 60 players were being auctioned in between seven teams – Dhangadhi FC, FC Chitwan, Butwal Lumbini FC, Jhapa FC, Kathmandu Rayzrs, Lalitpur City FC and Pokhara Thunders FC.

The first phase saw 60 players from two categories. There were 15 players in Category A and 45 in Category B. The base and maximum prices for the players in categories A and B were Rs. 150,000 to Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 400,000 respectively.

The auction was lively with the event hosted by senior sports journalist Durga Nath Subedi aka Devendra. However, several key players getting unsold left several questions as the teams were seen prioritising inform youngsters over senior and experienced players.

There was a total of 21 players who went unsold in the first phase. Of them, five were selected by four teams under the wish-list category. Unsold first, Deep Karki and Sandeep Karki were later procured by Butwal while Niraj Chaudhary, Jiyarath Sheikh and Ujwal Rai went to Chitwan, Dhangadhi and Jhapa respectively.

Nevertheless, the chance to play in the third season of the NSL ended for players like Nawayug Shrestha, Bharat Khawas, Bikesh Kuthu and Bishal Sunar.

After the first phase, Butwal Lumbini FC, with Manish Dangi as the marquee, has eight players (five B, two A); Dhangadhi FC, with marquee Kritish Ratna Chhunju, has nine (three A, five B); and FC Chitwan, with Anjan Bista as the marquee, has nine (three A, five B).

Likewise, Laken Limbu marquee-Jhapa FC has eight (two A, five B); Kathmandu Rayzrs, with Rohan Karki as the marquee, has 10 (three A, six B). 

Similarly, Lalitpur City FC, with marquee Ananta Tamang, has nine (three A, six B) and Pokhara Thunders FC, with marquee Samir Tamang, has eight (two A, five B). 

The teams still have players to buy from Category C for which the draft and process will be fixed by the next week. Butwal has the biggest purse remaining with Rs. 800,000 while Pokhara, Jhapa, Dhangadhi, Chitwan and Kathmandu have Rs. 625,000, Rs. 600,000, Rs. 360,000, Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively. Lalitpur is the only team to have spent Rs. 25,000 more than the limit.

The third season kicks off on March 29 at Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu.