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Kathmandu Sunday December 30, 2001 Paush 15, 2058.
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Khadka steers MPC to title
By Purushottam Kattel
DHARAN, Dec 29 – A fag end strike by Hari
Khadka saw Mahendra Police Club (MPC) clinch the 4th Budha Subba Gold Cup football title
defeating Dharan (Red) 1-0 in the final played on Saturday.
The sensational final witnessed by more than
10,000 spectators proved to be one of the best
finals of Budha Subba Cup
football held at the Dharan Stadium so far. With the win, MPC became the only team to win
the tournament twice in four years. Last time, they were downed by Bangladesh’s
Dhanmundi Club in the final.
The match seemed to head for the sudden death
period as both the keepers preformed brilliantly under the bar saving some breathtaking
shots. But it was Khadka, who finally broke the ice for the police team connecting a
brilliant header in the 77th minute. All the matches of the tournament are being
played in 80-minute regulation time. MPC frontline player Ramesh Budathoki provided a
well-measured pass from the right wing only to see Dharan goalie Ritesh Thapa making a
desperate dive to let the ball just before Khadka who took no chances and quickly headed
it into the opposition net.
Although against a star studded team, the local
boys posted a huge challenge to MPC players, especially after the break. Sanjiv
Joshi – goalkeeper of MPC demonstrated a couple of good saves against the powerful
strikes of Dilli Ram Shrestha. But, had there not been Thapa with radiant reflection,
Dharan would have lost the match by a big margin. Thapa, stopping almost all the strikes
from the police team, was declared man of the match.
MPC remained dominant in the first half as Dev
Narayan Chaudhary’s header, Budathoki’s accurate free kick and Khadka’s
curling 30-yarder were well gathered by Thapa. But in the first quarter of the second
half, the local boys put a tremendous pressure on the visitors but without any success.
The locals could not level the scores as only three minutes were remaining after Khadka
found the net.
My boys played according to the game plan,"
said Yogumber Suwal, the MPC coach.
"We got the lead late, but it was worth it."
Khadka, scoring the maximum number of goals in
the tournament, bagged the top scorer’s trophy along with a cash prize of Rs 10,000.
He was also declared man of the series which further carried the purse of Rs 10,000.
Besides, the winning team received a cash prize of Rs 25,000 while the runners-up got
15,000. Ganesh Thapa, president of the FIFA and AFC affiliated All Nepal Football
Association (ANFA) handed over the trophy and certificates to the players and officials.
The 12-day long tournament, organised by Dharan Football Club, was sponsored by Tuborg
beer and Mayos Noodles. A total of 12 teams including one from India competed at the
tournament.
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