KASKI, Jan 31: The Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup football tournament is being held in Pokhara, the capital of Gandaki Province, from February 4 to 15, inviting national and international clubs.
Keshav Raj Baral, chairman of the organizing club Pokhara, said that in this 24th edition of the tournament, 12 teams, including nine Nepali and three foreign teams, will compete for the title.
The inaugural match of the tournament will feature the host Sahara and the departmental team Nepal Police Club on February 4. The host Sahara, Nepal Police Club, Three Star Club, Machhindra Football Club, Sankata Club, Brigade Boys Club, NRT Football Club, and Api Power Church Boys United Football Club are participating in the tournament.
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Similarly, nine domestic teams, including the Nepal Army’s Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC), the Armed Police Force's Nepal APF Club, and the host Sahara Club, will compete. Foreign teams, including the UK's Brigade Boys Football Club, India's Thunderbolt North United, and Uzbekistan's Black Bulls Football Club, will participate in the competition.
The 12 teams participating in the competition have been divided into two groups. Group ‘A’ consists of Brigade Boys, Police, NRT, Church Boys, and Army, while Group ‘B’ consists of Three Star, APF, Machhindra, Thunderbolt of India, Sankata, and Uzbekistan. Among the participating teams, two foreign teams, Brigade Boys and Uzbekistan, along with Three Star and Army, will play directly in the quarterfinals.
The winner of the competition will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.2 million, a shield, a medal, and a certificate, while the runner-up will receive a cash prize of Rs 600,000, a shield, a medal, and a certificate.
Similarly, the best player of the tournament will be awarded a scooter. The top scorer, best defender, goalkeeper, midfielder, striker, and coach will receive a trophy along with a Rs 25,000 cash prize, and one team will be awarded the fair play award.
The organizer, Sahara Club, has stated that the competition will generate an income of Rs 15.1 million and an expenditure of Rs 14.2 million. The Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup, organized under the patronage of Pokhara Metropolitan City, has been sponsored by Aaha Rara Noodles of Himshree Foods Pvt. Ltd.
