Rayamajhi, Maharjan notch hat-tricks

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 12: Nepal international Nirajan Rayamajhi struck 5 goals in the Friends’ Club’s massive 8-1 victory over Boys’ Sports Club while Sahila Maharjan’s hat-trick saw Tribhuvan Club thrash Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) 5-0 in two different matches of the Birendra Memorial Invitational football tournament on Saturday.

In tournament’s high scoring matches, the day produced 14 goals to the spectators’ excitement. Rayamajhi, in a superb form following his outing in the Inter-VDC Cup recently, got through the opposition defence as early as in the 3rd minute. He took Friends’ Club 1-0 up unleashing a powerful shot into the Boys’ Sports Club net. Sukra Tamang executed a brilliant left cross to provide Rayamajhi a chance in the early minutes of the game.

Rayamajhi found his next goal in the 35th minute, 11 minutes after Rabin Byanjankar header had doubled the score for the Friends’ Club. Rayamajhi, using sublime skills up front, dribbled past two of the opponents’ defenders and goalie before implementing a chip shot.

Merely one minute had passed since his second goal that Rayamajhi found his third. He completed his hat-trick through a well-executed shot, almost a replay of his previous goal. This time he took the ball all alone from the centre and rounded it off the opposition goalie. It passed from just under the bar as the Boys’ Spots Club ‘keeper simply helped it inside the net.

He completed his fourth and fifth in the 52nd and 68th minute. With the two goals scored in the second half, Rayamajhi became the first player to score five goals in a match. Also to register their name among the goal scorers’ list were Kailash Dangol and Chandra Tamanag from Friends’ Club.

Friends’ Club’s captain and Nepali national goalkeeper Upendra Man Singh, although not conceding many against his name, however, was far from remaining errorless. A lot of credit goes to the Friends’ Club defenders who hardly let the opposition scorers go past them.

Rajiv Shrestha scored Boys’ Sports consolation in the later part of the match. Shrestha took a Binod Gurung pass inside the 18-yard box and unleashed a mighty shot in the 88th minute to get a huge applause from crowd. Singh, who was tested twice in the match including the goal of Shrestha fumbled on both occasion.

After the first Boys’ Sports goal, they got another opportunity to help their score when Sagar Thapa raced under the bar to save Manoj Maharjan’s shot roll inside Friends’ Club net in the 73rd minute, as Singh was nowhere near the scene.

Earlier, Royal Nepal Army’s Tribhuvan Club humiliated JYC 5-0, through the tournaments’ first hat-trick from Saila Maharjan. He scored the first goal for the Army in the 21st minute followed by Biswa Biraj Samal’s in the 25th minute. In the 35th minute, Manoj Thapa trebled the score for the Army team. In the second half Maharjan netted twice in the 49th and 71st minute to complete his hat-trick.

Three Star Club will meet Sankata Sports Club on Sunday while Galaxian Club will face off visiting Darjeeling-11 in the last pre-quarterfinal of the tournament later in the day.

Corporate football tourney

Post Report

LALITPUR, Jan 12:The league matches of Corporate Football Tournament, organised by Everest Insurance Company to mark the 31st Birthday of the Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev completed at the Little Angel’s football ground on Saturday.

With the completion of league matches Buddha Air, Everest Bank, Skyline Airways, Mountain Air, Yeti Airlines, British Gorkha, World Distribution Nepal and Himalayan Bank Limited stayed top to enter quarterfinals.

A total of 20 leading private organisations competed at the five-a-side football tournament. Five teams were divided into four Pools and the matches were played in league cum knock-out format. The top tow teams of each Pool qualified as the group leaders into quarters.

From Pool ‘A’, Buddha Air stayed top with nine points and will take on British Gorkha while Everest Bank, the runners up of Pool ‘A’ will meet Pool ‘C’ leader Yeti Airlines. Likewise, Skyline Airways will face off Himalayan Bank Limited while Pool ‘D’ leader World Distribution Nepal are slated to play against Mountain Air in the quarterfinals.

The Company has been organising the yearly five-a-side football tournament for the last three years. All the quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be held on Sunday.

Focus on middle order for repeat performance

By Somesh Verma

KATHMANDU, Jan 12:Nepal’s Youth Asia Cup 2001 success owes much to good dogged middle order batting. For the top order, apart from a couple of occasions, hardly had any big contribution during the tournament. And it was middle order batsmen, who demonstrating judicious aggression paved a way to the famous victory. No wonder then, the team will be banking on the middle order in New Zealand, more than ever.

Shakti Gauchan

It is not without reason that Shakti Gauchan was chosen as the captain to lead the Under-17 pack for ICC tournament in Dhaka last year. Owing to ordinary performances from the team’s top order during the Youth Asia Cup, this 17-year-old lanky left arm batsman often found himself at the crease sooner than he would have liked to. Yet he seldom let the team down, showing nerves of steel.

Even as the team’s batting came under criticism, he was one player who showed strength to stay on the wicket. Needless to say, with a century and a fifty in the championship, he was rewarded for the character he showed on the wicket.

However, there is room that Gauchan should improve upon, critics say. They point out that with a good height, he can bowl better if he improves his arm action. They also suggest a slight change in his stance during batting. Given all that, Gauchan receives a lot of praise from his coach, Roy Dias, who terms him an ‘intelligent cricketer’.

Basudev Thapa

Short and stocky, this Bhairahawa lad enjoyed a lot of praise for his batting during his debut tournament, Youth Asia Cup. Along with Gauchan, he was the one who steadied the Nepali innings whenever it looked shaky. He forged many useful partnerships with club-mate Gauchan.

And his ability to score freely playing under pressure brought him more accolades than anything else in the tournament. His body language exudes strength of character, making most of the people call him ‘Mr Cool’.

Experts, however, point out that he should strive to stay on the wicket, which will help him get more runs. His sweep shot is considered as the best in the team.

Binod Das

Captain and the most experienced campaigner of the side, Binod Das commands respect of each and every member of the Under-19 squad. Regarded as the fastest bowler in Nepal, Das will have to lead the side from the front when it comes to bowling.

But his role is not likely to be limited to that of a strike bowler. His ability to bat straight had led Ramiz Raja - former Pakistan Test cricketer and a noted commentator - to question his position in the batting order, when he came in to bat at number 11 in the semi-final of ACC trophy in UAE against Hong Kong (1999).

A regular player in the senior Nepal side, Das has often been criticised for not converting his potentials into performance in the batting department.

Present coach of the Nepali Under-19 side, Roy Dias feels that Das has the ability to become one of the best allrounders of the whole region, but will have to take his batting seriously. Dias also rates him as the best fielder in the side.

Manjit Shrestha

Manjit Shrestha returned from the Under-17 ICC Trophy as the highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets last year. Despite that achievement, many raised eyebrows on his selection into the Under-19 team for Youth Asia Cup.

He proved all of them wrong with a five-wicket haul, containing a hat-trick, against the Maldives. Not only that he gave Nepali scoring a thrust with his explosive batting whenever he was needed on crease. With all that, it is difficult to consider him out of the team in the matches down under.

Shrestha, with his improved run up, is likely to be even a more potent threat for the teams which play against Nepal. However, coaches say that he would do wonders if he times the ball well instead of hitting them hard, as he does.