Kathmandu, November 23:

The All Nepal Football Assiociation (ANFA) honoured FIFA referee Guanu Raja Shrestha and football players Ramesh Budhathoki of Nepal Police Club and Rajesh Shahi of Nabil Three Star Club with the Rupak Memorial Best Football Players Awards today.

All the three received Rs 100,000 along with a Yamaha motorcycle each. Minister for Education and Sports Pradeep Nepal handed over the awards. ANFA had established the award in memoy of Rupak Raj Sharma — the first national team skipper and FIFA referee — who died in a plane crash in 1991.

Raju Kaji Shakya, Umesh Pradhan, Mani Shah, Deepak Amatya, Upendra Man Singh, Bal Gopal Maharjan, Dev Narayan Chaudhary and Hari Khadka have won the award in previous years.