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Kathmandu Friday May 04, 2001 Baishakh 21, 2058.
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Best Among the Worst
By Purushottam Kattel
KATHMANDU, May 3 - Despite the controversy hanging around them, Nepali
players participated in the World Cup qualifiers, which initially were scheduled to be
played in Nepal but finally ended up in Iraq and Kazakasthan.
With a poor track record in the away matches and not too good showing
especially in the World Cup qualifying matches, Nepali players were sent in only at the
eleventh hour, thereby loaded with poor morale. Indeed, the matches were destined to be
mere play for the sake of play.
The players, before going to the qualifying matches, were in dilemma because
the quarrel in ANFA put their careers at stake. On top of that, they were deprived of
their most successful coach Stephen Constantine, who despite his labor and contribution to
Nepali soccer, decided to quit his post than to put up with the embarrassing row. Nepali
players’ situation was like Shakespeare’s Hamlet without the character of Hamlet
when Stephen placed himself out of the scene.
Casting aside the turbulence, Nepali players played with vigor and spirit,
which helped them, write new pages in Nepali football history. Nirajan Rayamajhi, who
became the first Nepali player to score a hat-trick in international matches, said,
"the first goal I scored against Iraq turned out to be a tonic for the whole
team." He added rather enthusiastically "from the last match of the first leg,
we found our tempo and Hari and I shared a tremendous understanding that continued
throughout the tour of Kazakasthan".
"Since Nepal outpoured Macao at first venture, the whole team stuck to
the game plan", said Hari Khadka, already an established striker for Nepal. "Now
we are aiming our team to lift up the gold medal for football in the 9th SAF to be held in
Pakistan in October, provided the management creates proper environment for the
players", adds a delighted Khadka.
"The long-lasting achievement of this tour is the future game plan for
Nepal that lacked the combination of striker with other players", said the ecstatic
coach Maheswor Mulmi who was given the charge of the brigade. "The pressure from the
senior players would release a bit because of fresh and aggressive attack of the
youngsters," he added. He attacked those experts who insist for foreign coach, saying
Nepal herself has good coaches. Mulmi challengingly declared,"if ANFA provides proper
training to the players right from now, Nepal will be the hot favorite for the title in
the 9th SAF Games, just 4 months away".
It is high time that ANFA and the experts from the field of soccer to
withdraw their previous conflicts and come up with fresh plans to uplift the discipline
which needs a support. The iron is hot and the time is right to hammer it before it is too
late. It is shameful for the country to lose a sport for private gains; ANFA and other
experts of the game better should know this. In case ANFA and rest of the nation’s
football pundits are fool hardy enough to ignore the players’ need, what will be the
relevance of such people and Associations?
There would be immense responsibilities on the players too, since the
spectators will start expecting more from them. Now, they can not just play for the sake
of play, but for the sake of victory. Let the national flag flutter not just in the narrow
premises of the warring ANFAs, but also in the stadium abroad. |
