NEPAL: Squabbling parties unite for goals

FROM SOUTH ASIAN NEWS NET

KATHMANDU: Though squabbling most of the time, Constituent Assembly members of the three major political parties–Unified Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN UML– were united on Saturday for a goal. The goal was to score goals against the comedian-actors of Nepali tele-serials.

The Constituent Assembly team, Sabhasad-11, played a friendly match against Kalakar-11, a team comprising artistes of comedy serials Tito Satya, Jire Khorsani and Mery Bassai, in a bid to raise funds for the treatment of ailing former national volleyball player Dinesh Baniya, who is in a critical condition with both his kidneys non-functional and in need of a kidney transplant.

Sabhasad-11, captained by Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, lost 4-1 to Kalakar-11 headed by popular comedian Deepakraj Giri.

The Sabhasad team comprised top leaders of the three major political parties-Jhalanath Khanal, Ram Chandra Poudel, Barsaman Pun, Gagan Thapa and Janardan Sharma, among others. Likewise, the Kalakar team included Kiran KC, Sitaram Kattel, Shivahari Poudel, Palpasa Dangol, Deepashree Niraula, Kedar Ghimire, Gopal Nepal Fiste and Jitu Nepal.

A huge crowd gathered to see their favorite celebrities and the political leaders, whom they often see on their television sets, perform on the ground in the rain. The spectators seemed to derive full entertainment from the match, with their obvious excitement, laughter and cheering. The players running at slow motion with their big bellies, with the ball often slipping underneath when they raised their legs to kick, amused the public hugely.

“It is more fun for the spectators than the players,” said a woman who came to watch the match with her two-year-old baby and could not stop laughing and cheering for both teams.

Sabhasad captain Pushpa Kamal Dahal in jersey no. 9 and Ram Chandra Poudel in jersey No. 20 were welcomed with clapping and even more than Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal when he came to Dasharath Stadium to encourage the players.

The slow-running Sabhasads with their big bellies, and especially Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Jhalanath Khanal and Ram Chandra Poudel, drew the most attention from the crowd and, more than that, were surrounded by photographers and video cameramen from various media. However, the top three leaders did not play for more than 10 minutes and Ram Chandra Poudel was the first to be substituted when he left the ground limping no more than two minutes after kick-off.

“This is the first time I am playing football, I used to play chess and baghchal,” Poudel said. The top players of the Sabhashad team hardly managed to touch the ball. I am playing football after 25 years, said Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Meanwhile, the Kalakar players too were encouraged by the spectators calling them by their nick names like Magne Budha, Dhurmus and Gaida.

Leaving the ground after about 10 minutes, captain Dahal said, it was a wonderful experience and it also gave a message for national unity, while Jhalnath Khanal said this match would fulfill its objective. Barsaman Pun commented, “We will score the goals in consensus”.

The first half of the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with Manraj Shrestha giving the lead for Kalakar but Gagan Thapa scored the equalizer six minutes later. However, in the second half Kalakar won three more goals as Manara scored a brace to complete his hat trick and Kumar Luitel added one more.

The charity football match was organized by the Televison Artistes Forum. The funds collected from the match will be provided for the treatment of Baniya and a portion will also go into the Kalakar Welfare Fund.