Football is all about team spirit which cannot be won if the players do not act in unison.

Similarly, we all heard the news about Nepal’s national football team winning the first place in the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia.

Once again, the Nepali football team proved that they are also emerging as a strong team to be reckoned with, especially in South Asia where it has performed well despite many constraints at home.

Here millions of die-hard fans of Nepali football extended their congratulation to the Nepali football team for winning the first AFC Solidarity Cup which was won outside South Asia recently.

And, of course, Nepal’s victory over Macau made me proud of being a Nepali as it has added one more feather on our cap. Nepal has a bright future in football if it is well organized, funded and trained.

However, it is painful to say that I feel totally speechless at a time when I see football mafia groups play without sportsmanship.

Nepal’s football had gone to the lowest ebb when some so-called leaders in the helm of football association did not act for the sport but misused the association for personal gains.

With those people ousted from the association it seems that Nepal’s football has gained momentum.

Saroj Wagle, Bara

Work delayed

This is with reference to the news story “Reconstruction delay” (THT, Perspectives, November 20, Page 1).

The first priority of the Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA) must be to identify the genuine quake victims who have yet to receive the government assistance despite the fact that it has been one and a half years since the devastating earthquakes rocked the central hilly districts in 2015.

The victims must be provided with enough grants so that they can rebuild their damaged houses, schools, drinking water projects and health facilities. These are the basic needs of the communities who cannot sustain their life without support from the government.

As this year’s monsoon is over it is perfect time for the concerned authorities to start distributing the government fund to the needy people who are still waiting for something positive to happen.

The winter season has already knocked on the hilly areas and most of the earthquake victims are still living in tents that cannot cope with the chilling winter.

Likewise, there are many other victims who have received only the first installment of the grant and are empty-handed since then. But the NRA is still only in paper.. Nobody knows when the paperwork will be finished.

The PM who heads the steering committee of the NRA is busy giving instructions every day. But the NRA does not act swiftly.

Nobody knows when the reconstruction works on public property, including the temples, shrines, monuments and other damaged infrastructure will be completed.

NRA must change its working style if it really wants to uplift the people from the natural disasters that shattered the hopes of millions of people in the rural areas.

Sanjog Karki, Tansen