Lalitpur, June 12

New Road Team thrashed Valley Chyasal Youth Club 4-1 in the inaugural match of the Lalit Memorial U-18 Championship here at the ANFA Complex grounds today.

Rejan Majhi, Kritish Ratna Chhunju, Susan Sharma Dhital and Bibek Rai netted one goal each for NRT, while Shyrab Lo Tamang scored the consolation goal for Chyasal in the Group A match. Majhi put NRT ahead in the first minute after he capitalised on a defensive error just 53 seconds into the match. Chyasal levelled the scores in the 44th minute when Lo Tamang found the back of the nets with a powerful volley past NRT goalkeeper Pujan Hona.

Chhunjnu put NRT ahead for the second time in the 54th minute before they took control of the match scoring two goals in the space of six minutes.

Dhital converted from the spot in the 81st minute after Chyasal’s Bibek Ale brought down Chhunju inside the box. Rai then completed the scoring with the team’s fourth goal in the 87th minute.

A total of 14 clubs — the youth teams of ‘A’ division outfits — are taking part in the fourth edition of the tournament organised by All Nepal Football Association in memory of its acting President Lalit Krishna Shrestha, who died of electrocution at his residence in 2015.

The teams are divided into three groups and top two sides from each pool will make it to the quarter-finals with two best third-placed teams. Himalayan Sherpa Club and CMG Club Sankata are the other teams in Group A.

Winners of the first two editions Tribhuvan Army Club, Ruslan Three Star Club, Signature Manang Marshyangdi Club and Nepal APF Mahindra Club are in Group B, while defending champions Brigade Boys Club, Nepal Police Club, Saraswoti Youth Club and Jawalakhel Youth Club are in Group C. Top two teams will receive Rs 300,000 and Rs 150,000 respectively, while all the participating 14 teams were provided with Rs 125,000 as preparation amount.

The tournament kicked off today to mark the death anniversary of Shrestha and it will resume on June 21. Vice-president of National Sports Council Pitamber Timsina and ANFA President Karma Tsering Sherpa among others inaugurated the tournament. The guests and ANFA officials also paid tribute to Shrestha — the then president of Three Star Club — offering garlands to his statute on the premises of ANFA.