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American football head coach Jack Stefanowski faces challenge in Nepal

The coaching duo of   Jack Stefanowski and Richard Orlowski   have taken charge of the national football team of Nepal that is going through a barren run  like never seen before. The football community has greeted   their arrival with a renewed sense of hope and optimism. Football fans had been   clamoring   for foreign coaches, following the departure of Englishman Graham Roberts. Thirty-seven year old Polish born   American Stefanowski and his deputy Orlowski face daunting challenges, undoubtedly. Let me make one thing very clear: They do not have   a magic wand to turnaround Nepali football overnight. It is very obvious that they will do their very best to manage the team and deal with and overcome problems. The twelve month contract   is a short period of time for the duo to make things happen. Even more importantly, the sorry state of Nepali football   presents bigger...

Footballer Rohit Chand's steady climb to success

Budding footballer   Rohit   Chand is a tremendous talent with great football instincts. His odyssey    to   Pekanbaru in the Island of   Sumatra, Indonesia has   paid off handsomely. Undeniably, for the young booter this is one big achievement and a huge step towards bigger success. He  has become the first Nepali to play professional football in that part of the world. As you would have thought, he   has   become   the talk of the   town. This piece of good news comes at   a time when there is nothing positive to report about   Nepali football. After much suspense and speculation, the 20 year old from Surkhet District in the mid-western region of Nepal was able to   land  a very important contract with the Indonesian club Persatuan Sepak Bola Pekanbaru dan Sekitarnya (PSPS),Pekanbaru. As for now the contract stands ...

Nepali Cricket in the Year 2012

The   New Year   countdown has begun and it is the right time to look back   at what happened   in the world of   Nepali cricket in 2012. Our cricketers   have had a busy year competing in various domestic and international competitions.    Over all, I would say it was a mixed bag strictly in terms of performance and outcome, especially in international tournaments. There were   setbacks and successes aplenty and   missed opportunities, as well.  Surely, we can do much better than this. The players played   their hearts   out, undoubtedly, but there are various facets of the game where improvement   is   desperately needed. We always tend   to highlight the talent   and potential of our players. It is   a   proven fact that raw talent alone is not enough to garner success. Without an iota ...

2012: Disappointing year for Nepali Football

As the year 2012 draws to a close, it   makes sense to me at least to   highlight the lows and highs of Nepali football. In hindsight the year has turned out to be unproductive, mediocre and far from encouraging yet again. This fact cannot be disputed. Unlike previous years, 2012   has   been   more than just the   usual talking points like, All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), football development, national team’s performance, domestic and international tournaments. There were    a few attention-grabbing issues and had a lot of people talking. The   untimely tragic demise of promising young   footballers, FIFA boss Seep Blatter’s Nepal visit, national women team’s potential and President of ANFA Ganesh Thapa’s saga of corruption. I   am aware that   sport enthusiasts in the country are pretty well- informed about all of the major developments in the w...

Just another Kathmandu Football League

The ongoing    Kathmandu ‘A’ Division League football tournament in the capital is in full swing, and already it has produced a string of surprises so far. It is   way too   early   to jump into   conclusions, however, should the unfancied   teams   continue  to perform consistently the competition  is bound to generate plenty of  excitement and unpredictability. If  the trend  in the early goings of the  league holds, top notch teams  in the likes of  Nepal Police, Three Star, Nepal Army and Manang Marsyangdhi  should expect a strong and  tough opposition. I would go as far as to say   that the league is wide open. The   first round saw lesser known clubs   like   Machindra FC, Madhyapur Youth Association, Simrik Sarsawti, Mahendra  Bansbari and   Sankata steal the thunder. They  ...

Big blow to Non-Kathmandu Valley based football Clubs

All Nepal Football Association’s decision to abandon the newly   launched National League  football  tournament in favor of  ( whatever you want to call it Kathmandu or Martyr’s ) 'A'  Division  League   is  a huge   disappointment and a big  blow to non-Kathmandu Valley based  football clubs. Once again there will be no   nationwide league, thus denying emerging football clubs across the   country a chance to   become part of the mainstream football. This, obviously, confirms the fact that All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is far from supportive when it comes to football clubs stationed outside the capital. Here is the thing, though, either the football body   has run out of ideas, or it is no longer competent to implement its programmes. For long   the clubs have   been   ignored and alienated   by ANFA. However, ther...

Harsh Realities of Nepali Football

There was a   time   when Nepali footballers were   very much sought after by   premier   football clubs    of   India   and Bangladesh   on a regular basis. That is hardly the case now. It is so hard to believe that today there is not a single Nepali footballer playing   club football in   India or Bangladesh. Looking   at I League   and Premier League in India and Bangladesh respectively, there has been   quite a turnaround   in terms of structure, professionalism and competitiveness. Over the years, we have seen an influx of   foreign players in both leagues. Given the opportunity, both   leagues provide an excellent   platform for our players looking forward to showcase their talent on a professional level. Despite the wealth of talent, Nepali football has not blossomed for years...