MMC start campaign in style, Friends held

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 4: Manang Marshyangdi Club secured vital points in its campaign for Martyrs Memorial Football League title today after beating unfancied Jawalakhel Youth Club 2-0. In the day's first match, Friends Club had to satisfy with a goalless draw against Kathmandu Club.

The MMC overpowered the Lalitpur based JYC and sent the rival on defensive in both halves of the match. In fact, the 2-0 score line did not give the real picture of their domination over the JYC. They could have widened the margin but their forwards ill directed shots and some excellent goal keeping by JYC custodian stopped them to increase the victory margin.

Performing cohesion in all departments of the game, the MMC took the lead through Basant Gauchan in the 10th minute of the game when he hammered home for a easy goal after a shot was rebounded off JYC custodian Ujjwal Manandhar.

Just eight minutes after the first goal, Rajan Rayamajhi, who collected a cross from Gauchan, took a very close range shot to give his team the second goal.

Having dominated the first half, the MMC players did not let the game go out of their hand in the second half but could not increase the lead due to their poor finishes. On the other hand, the JYC boys could not pierced through the effective MMC defense-line and played defensive game throughout the match.

Earlier, Friends Club had to share the points with lowly Kathmandu Club following their inability in making clinical finishes at the goal mouth despite having dominated the rivals in both proceedings of the game. Friends forwards Bill Tamang, Sukra Tamang and KC brothers, Sujit and Shushil failed to rise on the occasions while Kathmandu Club strikers Anil Darshan and Uiran Lama made wild shot to posts. After playing full time, both team failed to break the deadlock.

Today's Matches Bansbari vs. Boys Sports Snakata vs. Boys Union

Sports tourism workshop organised

Pokhara, May 4 (RSS): A two-day national workshop on "sports tourism in Nepal, Possibilities and Areas" organised by Nepal Press Union (NPU) central working committee under the auspices of the NPU Kaski unit began here recently.

Former Sports Minister and MP Sharat Singh Bhandari, advisor to the Ministry of Industry Ananda Raj Mulmi and tourism expert Karna Shakya are to present working papers at the workshop organised with an objective to make the bodies concerned attentive towards tourism development in the country through the medium of sports.

The workshop will also reach a conclusion following extensive discussion on the working papers.

Personalities associated with tourism, sports, industry and trade, and journalists from various parts of the country are taking part in the workshop.

Inaugurating the workshop, Minister of state for Local Development Suresh Malla lauded the effort made by NPU to draw the attention of the bodies concerned towards this important issue on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day.

The press should always be conscious of its duty, he added.

MPs Sharat Singh Bhandari, Prakash Bahadur Gurung and Sukra Raj Sharma, member secretary of National Sports Council Binod Shanker Palikhe, advisor to the Ministry of Industry Ananda Raj Mulmi and other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by NPU central president Kul Chandra Wagle