National 6 (Spotlight Weekly)

Soccer Show

MMC captures the league title for the fifth time

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

After uprooting the lowly Kathmandu Club 8-1, the Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC) bagged this season's Martyr's Memorial ANFA San Miguel League tournament title. This is the fifth time the club had bagged this title. Likewise, MMC also became back-to-back winner of the title for two consecutive seasons.

The MMC won the title even though it still has one more game left to play. With 28 points already in its account, the club is comfortably ahead from Mahendra Police Club (MPC), which is a distant second with 23 points.

Battling with all the top "A" division clubs of the country in a ground marred by monsoon mud, MMC won in a style of true champion ñ having defeated 9 clubs and reached a draw with their closest contender MPC.

The victory of MMC also revealed that professionalism is the key to success. The club, one of the richest in the country, had an impressive pool of talents like Basanta Thapa, Deepak Lama, Rajan Rayamajhi and so on.

Along with the victory, MMC has become eligible to play in the Asian Club Championship next year.

The national football league this year has been going on for the last one and a half month and will end next week. At this juncture, MMC leads the score chart with 28 points followed by MPC with 23 points, Sankata Club with 19 points, New Road Team (NRT) with 19 points, Friends Club with 18 points and Three Star with 17 points.

Both Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT) and Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC) have bagged 15 points each. Naxal Youth Team is at the bottom of the table with 1 point. Ramesh Budhatoki of MPC and Basanta Thapa of MMC are in the race for the leading scorer with 14 goals each in their personal account.

"Football league is the backbone of this sports in any country. Due to various reasons, we could not hold the league regularly in the past. But now we are in a position to do so," said Ganesh Thapa, president of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).

The ANFA had given Rs 50,000 each to 11 A division clubs for the preparation of league. The clubs have said that the amount is grossly inadequate. This year the title winner will be given the cash prize of Rs 150,000. The clubs that are second and third runner-ups will get Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.