mysportsmysports

Every time a foreigner is hired   as head coach of    Nepal’s national football team, expectations   go through the roof.  American   Jack Stefanowski’s appointment to the coveted position   was no exception. He is the second foreigner in three years to have taken   charge of   a struggling Team Nepal that is desperately trying to break the jinx. Coach Stefanowski’s year long contract with Nepal runs out probably in six months time. Whether his contract gets extended or not, is an open question. As part of a deal between All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and   Plus One Fashion USA Corp (ANFA’s new sponsor), Coach Stefanowski and   his deputy Richard Orlowski   took charge of the Nepali squad. With   the   Polish American born duo’s monthly remuneration   being   footed by the sponsor, ANFA did/does not have to p...

The rescheduled South Asian Federation Football Championship taking place in the first week of September in Kathmandu will put the national football team of Nepal in the spotlight once again. Since the tournament is taking place in our own backyards, home fans have high expectations for Team Nepal. At least we can hope for the best.   The obvious question on everyone’s mind is, can they put an end to their dismal losing streak, the longest in the history of Nepali football. The competition renders   the national squad  yet another  golden opportunity to work their way to success that has eluded them for  nineteen years. The fact of the matter is they have blown   countless chances    to rebound and salvage some   of the lost pride. The road to success   is not easy to navigate by any means, but with extra  effort, drive and enthusiasm, it’s doable. There is not much to separate  ...

There is no doubt; the   national cricket   team of Nepal   is on a roll. They continue to play with poise, confidence and discipline, something we did not see in the past. The cricketers’ latest accomplishment in the ICC World Cup League Division Three in Bermuda speaks volumes of their potential to succeed in a challenging and competitive environment. Before I proceed any further and without wasting any time, I would like to congratulate   Team Nepal and the coaching staff on another   successful   championship, where they stood out and beat the odds. Nepal made a remarkable comeback to win the championship, especially after conceding two successive matches.  They were on the brink of not qualifying for the next league division. They were in a situation where they had to win all of their remaining matches, and hoped that Bermuda would prevail over the United States. As the saying goes,” F...

The champion club of Nepal Three Star Club did not disappoint as they powered their way to the final round of the AFC President’s Cup qualifiers on the last day of the competition in Kathmandu recently. A   hard fought 2-2 draw against Taiwan’s Power Company was enough for the home side to become the group champions. They concluded the tournament with a   win and   two draw. The record does   look   impressive; there is obviously still plenty of room for improvement.  A win is a win, nonetheless, and they deserve   every credit   for the success. The triumph   was  a  huge  relief  for  home supporters  who  so  desperately wanted  their team  to succeed. Congratulations  to  Three Star Club (TSC) for booking   a spot in the final round. Everyone knows,   Nepali football   Teams   have...

Sport   enthusiasts of Kathmandu Valley   have been rewarded yet again with another international football tournament starting in a couple of days. As always, they get to rally around the local outfit Three Star Club in the AFC President‘s Cup, and hope that   they are able to bring the home team’s   dismal  losing streak to an end. Fans’ frustration and disappointment is understandable when their side fails to live up to expectations.  Yes, we are fully aware about the home team’s lackadaisical and sloppy performance.   They have been a big   letdown and failed to achieve   the desired result, time and time again much to everyone’s consternation. The fact cannot be overlooked that it has become a regular occurrence, sadly. Fans, however, have bravely   withstood the country’s footballing   ignominy for very long. Nonetheless, they continue   to passiona...

President of All Nepal Football Association Ganesh Thapa has been all over the map in these few weeks. That does not surprise me a bit.  He seems to love   the limelight more than anything. He has made his presence literally everywhere from   prize distribution ceremony to felicitation   programme. Also   he was in the forefront   making announcement of All Nepal Football Association’s (ANFA) incentives to players and new sponsorships. He had   political bigwigs as chief guests for the events, as always. Whether   it’s   rewarding    car to the best player, apartment to the most valuable player or   felicitating   coaches and players, these are   all good things, no doubt. Such incentives are imperative and   would   tremendously help motivate footballers. I applaud    and congratulate him and ANFA  ...

Let me congratulate Team Nepal for finishing second in the ACC Twenty20 qualifiers that concluded in Kathmandu recently. No doubt, success over   nemesis   Afghanistan in the final match would have been an ideal result. I have no intent to undermine the team’s runners-up finish. The host put up a pretty decent performance, by and large. At the end they went down to a vastly improved Afghanistan that has taken dramatic strides in international cricket. On the day the superior side won, undoubtedly. In spite of defeat, more important, Nepal for the first time advanced to the next round of the qualifiers taking place in the United Arab Emirates, later this year. The result   is heartening, and we can take lots of positives from the team’s performance. All in all, it was the result of individual brilliance and concerted effort on part of the entire team. One player who stood out was Paras Khadka, skipper of the national team, a genuine all...