Thapa

Kathmandu: Remember Ganesh Thapa? The mercurial Nepalese striker who scored goals for East Bengal in the Eighties and won the hearts of the fans.

“How can I forget Calcutta! I loved the passion of the fans in Calcutta but I didn’t have a long stint because I always felt homesick there,” Thapa, who is the president of the All Nepal Football Association, said.

“When I decided to try my luck in Calcutta, Mohun Bagan showed keen interest. But I turned out for East Bengal as advised by Shyam Thapa.”

Even after all these years, Thapa still hasn’t forgotten the time he was stranded after a match.

“I can’t exactly remember the year but it was the Derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens. We lost the match and couldn’t leave the stadium for the next three hours!

“Such was the fans’ anger! Finally we had to leave the stadium in police vans… I haven’t seen such craze for the game elsewhere,” Thapa, who has also played in Bangladesh, said.

He is very positive about football in his country. “Look at the SAFF under-16 Championships… The interest and following is unbelievable… At least 10,000 people have been at the stadium to watch Nepal’s matches everyday!

“Today kids in Nepal have better infrastructure… There are several coaching camps where they can hone their skills. There are coaches who are aware of modern football.

“The 14-team League gives you an opportunity to compete with the best. There are some foreigners playing alongside them.

“The SAFF Championships will provide us with another opportunity to showcase our talent in September,” he explained.