Sports
Army claim sixth title of the season
National team striker Nawayug Shrestha missed from the spot but Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) still prevailed over archrivals Nepal Police Club (NPC) 4-3 in penalties to win the Hetauda Gold Cup on Saturday.National team striker Nawayug Shrestha missed from the spot but Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) still prevailed over archrivals Nepal Police Club (NPC) 4-3 in penalties to win the Hetauda Gold Cup on Saturday.
In a departmental duel at the Institute of Forestry grounds, the match was decided through tiebreaker after the regulation 90-minute time ended on a goalless draw. While Shrestha failed to find target from the spot smashing the upright, Santosh Tamang, Dip Lama, custodian and man-of-the-final Bikesh Kuthu and Bibek Basnet all converted for them.
Taj Tamang and Buddha Lama missed their shot from the spot with Suman Lama, Ajit Raj Bhandari and Dinesh Rajbanshi find the target. The victory handed TAC their sixth title of the season and made them richer by Rs 500,000. Runners-up NPC took Rs 300,000.
TAC, whose last trophy before Saturday’s final came in the Simara Gold Cup, had also won Bishal Memorial Gold Cup in Birgunj, Satashi Gold Cup and Kakadbhitta Gold Cup in Jhapa and Khaptad Gold Cup in Dhangadi. They have played finals of eight knockout tournaments this season. NPC’s lone title was the Aaha-Rara Gold Cup in Pokhara.
Bimal Pandey of the title winning team was adjudged the player-of-the-tournament and he got Rs 50,000. Abhishek Rijal (forward), Tej (midfielder) and Rajbanshi (defender) of NPC, TAC goalkeeper Kuthu and coach Nabin Neupane were other individual winners. They got Rs 15,000 each.
The tournament was organised by Suman Bhomjan Memorial Sports Foundation. Bhomjan, a sports scribe with state-owned Nepali daily newspaper Gorkhapatra died during the Great Quake of April 25, 2015. A total of eight teams had participated in the tournament.