National women's team skipper Lama, FIFA Assistant Referees and coach also rewarded

Lalitpur, May 6

All Nepal Football Association honoured five individuals with the Rupak Memorial Awards here at the ANFA Complex today.

National team striker Anil Gurung, women’s team captain Anu Lama, former FIFA Assistant Referee Sailesh Joshi, FIFA Assistant Referee Bina Shrestha and coach Birat Krishna Shrestha were rewarded with Rs 100,000 and a Yamaha motorcycle each.

Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Raymajhi, ANFA acting President Narendra Shrestha, General Secretary of Nepal Olympic Committee Lama Tendi Sherpa, and Vice-president of Nepal Olympic Committee Purendra Bikram Lakhe among others handed over the awards.

Gurung, who led the national team in the SAFF Championship held last year in India, had made his national team debut in 2008. He has scored nine international goals. Gurung was also awarded with the Ncell Player of the Year in 2070. Gurung was not present at the programme as he is in Hong Kong for trails with different clubs.

Women’s national team skipper Lama, who made her national debut in 2010, is the highest goal scorer in international tournaments with 35 goals and has also scored equal number of goals in national league. Lama was also the member of the squad that won friendly matches against Kuwait and Qatar. Lama is currently associated with Nepal APF Club.

Likewise, FIFA assistant referee from 2001-2012, Joshi officiated the FIFA World Cup Qualifying round match in China in 2001 and AFC U-17 Championship Qualifying round in Dhaka in 2003. Joshi has also officiated two friendlies in Nepal and has been working as a Referee Assessor and Fitness Instructor. Similarly, FIFA Assistant Referee Shrestha had started her career as an athlete in the eighth South Asian Games. Shrestha won two bronze medals during the regional games and was awarded with the Gorkha Dkashinbahu fifth. Shrestha was the member of the women’s national team that took part in the 12th Asian Women’s Football Championship in 1999 in the Philippines. Shrestha recently officiated in the 12th SA Games in India.

Coach Shrestha, who completed the Diploma in Coaching from Patiala, India, led Nepal Police Club to the AFC President’s Cup final round in Kazakhstan. Shrestha has also worked as the head coach of the national, U-17 and U-19 squads. Shrestha is one of the most successful domestic coaches in Nepal.

ANFA has been awarding the players, coaches and referees every year with the award instituted in the name of national team skipper and FIFA Referee Rupak Raj Sharma, who died in the PIA aircraft crash in Lalitpur in 1992 while returning home after officiating a match in Pakistan. Sharma, who led the national team for 12 years from 1974, was the first FIFA Referee from Nepal and also served Nepal Police in the capacity of Superintendent of Police.