Stage Set for the Football Treat
Stage is all set for one of the most awaited football entertainment! The day two top clubs of Nepal clash for the honor of being the best in the Challenge the Champion Charity Football Match is knocking on the doors. The match begins at 4:00 PM sharp on Saturday at the Dasrath Stadium and will be broadcasted live by Nepal Television.
The match between national league champion Manang Marsyandi Club (MMC) and Nabil Three Star Club (NTSC) promises to be a treat for the spectators.
Although both the teams are clashing for a friendly match that is to help raise fund for the education of the children of the journalists killed or displaced during the 12-year-long conflict in the country, both the teams have indicated that once at the pitch, it would be the clash of honor and would do everything to win.
“We clashed with MMC in the vital match in last year’s league and unfortunately lost it,” NTSC captain Upendra Man Singh said on Friday. “We would try to forget that defeat which cost us the league title winning this match.”
If veteran national captain was claiming to win the match, MMC’s Tashi Chhiring wasn’t far behind. “NTSC has never defeated us,” he said indicating towards the history which says MMC had won all the major games. “So we would continue that because we have something to prove to our spectators and fans.”
On the light practice on Friday at the Dasrath Stadium, the players looked fit and ready to take on each other. While the coaches and captains were busy in the press conference organized by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), the players were busy preparing themselves for the match.
It was a finest of the gesture from Ganesh Thapa, the president of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) who declared that ANFA would contribute for the Fund being established by the profit of the match. He also announced that ANFA is ready to provide the children of killed journalists facilities in ANFA Academy if they are interested in football.
“I thank all for selecting football, the most popular game of the world, for the noble cause,” Thapa, who recently returned from Germany fulfilling his responsibility as the member of disciplinary committee, said.
On the occasion, Bishnu Nisthuri, the chairman of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) congratulated the NSJF members for their hard works to make the match possible. “Eighteen journalists and a office staff was killed during the conflict, from state and rebels,” he said. “Both have no response to our request to look after their families.”
Mahendra Bista, the FNJ general secretary, added that no team would lost the match as the winner of the match would be the ‘noble cause’. “The result of this match wouldn’t be counted on the goals,” he said. “Rather both the teams are already the winners for supporting the noble cause.”
Nirajan Rajbanshi, the NSJF president, said all the preparation for the match had been completed and the teams were ready to offer a mouth-watering contest. “Although it would be a friendly charity match, it would be competitive,” he said thanking all the sponsors and supporters and requesting fans of the game not to miss the match.