Football

Penalty Shootout underway

Last weekend I was invited to be a guest at the Ichtus Schools football competition. The Icthus schools are a group of Nepali schools in Kathmandu area that are of a similar ethos to KISC.

If you know me at all then you’ll know being invited to watch football is about the easiest thing in the word for me to say yes too. I seem to have passed on my love of football to my son as well, and so he was keen to join me for the afternoon.

Goal Mouth Action

The competition was taking place at the National Stadium, Nepal’s Wembley, although the resemblance is hard to spot. I was invited along for Sunday afternoon to watch the finals and help present trophies. The competition was a 2 day event and about half a dozen schools took part. We got to see the girls final, followed by the junior and then senior boys final.

All the teams were loudly supported by probably a hundred members of their respective schools complete with drums, flags and pitch invasions at the final whistle of each match. The most popular cry was “Goal Hanyo” literally translated – “Hit the Goal”

Lots of trophies

One particularly sporty school, decked out in their orange strip, made it into all 3 finals and although they lost the girls final on a penalty shootout, they were convincing winners in both boys finals. After the final there was the usual Nepali “Karyakram” (Program) which included a traditional folk dance, a few speeches and of course lots of medal and trophy presentations.

It was the first time I’d been to the national stadium for a few years, which is still under repairs from earthquake damage. They are in the process of putting a roof on the uncovered stands which you might be able to see part of in the photos.

When we signed up to come to Nepal, presenting winners medals in the National Stadium wasn’t on the expected things to do list, but here you go. You never quite know what you’ll end up doing I guess!

Fancy a medal?