mysportsmysports

The   women’s national   football team of Nepal   put forth   a great collective effort in the recently concluded 2nd Women SAFF Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but they failed to strike it rich at the end. It was an incredible  effort, indeed, and   they have made the country proud. They can hold their heads up high and say, “We did our very best”. Let us not forget, the ladies have   struggled, worked   long and toiled hard to get where they are today.  Their passion and dogged determination for the game of football kept/keeps them going. They have reached three finals in three years and elevated themselves to the position of number two in South Asia. The fruits   of    their   labor are starting to pay off; nonetheless, they still have a long way to go. Prior to the final game, one big question on everyone’s mind was: Will the third time be a charm for Team Nepal? The answer is of course, “No”.  The second place finish is a    great accomplishment, consid

The   ongoing   2 nd   SAFF Women’s Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka should have been an exciting and thrilling sporting spectacle but   turned out to be a low- key affair. Prior to start of the championship, based on competing teams’   strengths   and weaknesses, the final   between defending champions India and Nepal was a   foregone conclusion. As anticipated, the two finalists   hardly had to break sweat in their group matches. They effortlessly pummeled opponents   one after another   in a   slew   of   one –sided matches. Evidently, the gap is huge between   the   rest and the top   two   seeds. And   for Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan and   Pakistan, there is a lot of catching up to do.  This is the   third   final   between   India and Nepal. It was no surprise that in the last two finals (SAF Games & SAFF Championship) India had the last laugh. Despite India’s dominance in South Asian women football, they now have a stubborn, resolute an

After a   disheartening    Nehru Cup performance by the men’s national football team, the   focus now   shifts to women footballers. As I write the   women’s national team is already in Sri Lanka to compete in the 2 nd  South Asian Federation Football (SAFF) Championship beginning 7 September. Defending champion India   and Nepal are the two top ranked teams in the tournament. The two rivals are most likely to fight it out again for   the title, if my prediction holds.    India ranked 52 nd  in FIFA rankings start the competition as the overwhelming favorites, and they may be poised for another championship. One thing is sure, they are not taking   anything for granted and   appear   well prepared   for the tournament. They head the group consisting of   Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan.     It may be recalled that Nepali footballers were in the spotlight in 2010, following their spirited performances against India in two finals that took place in Bangladesh.

After pondering a while, I was inclined to use the term “disastrous” to sum up Nepal’s Nehru Cup debut.   No one disputes the fact   that   it was   another below par performance by Coach Krishna Thapa and his boys. Nepal   concluded the competition with three   agonizing defeats and a draw, finishing at the bottom of the table. This does   not   surprise me one bit. I saw this coming. Thanks to live streaming internet TV, I was able to watch the spectacle from the confines of my couch.  I was so thrilled and excited   to see Nepal in action.Sadly, I was left to   watch   my   side go down in flames. Let   me be outright and honest, it was an uninspiring and sluggish performance by Nepal.  Like most fans, I had   no choice, but to accept   my disillusionment and live with it. Evidently, Nepal’s slump continues unabated, a slump that has seen the team stumble from World Cup qualifiers to Nehru Cup in the last two years.    Team Nepal’s latest debacle has raised poi