It was not an entirely new scene but the difference was that the masses were contributing to raise funds to vote for their home-grown player. Organizers of the friendly match said that they were able to collect more than Rs 100,000 for the first time through a volleyball match in Pokhara.[break]
"This is also the first time that a star-studded friendly match was held in our city," Sudarsan Ranjit, a social activist of Pokhara, said of the match featuring other well known names --Manju Gurung, Aruna Shahi, Pariksha Gurung and Sanju Purja -- of Nepali volleyball.
Sipora Gurung also received an additional Rs 100,000 after being named the brand ambassador of Gurung Beauty Parlor and Beauty Academy for a year.
While Rs 40,600 was collected through ticket sales, the rest of the amount was collected from well-wishers, said Saraswati Gurung, finance coordinator of the committee campaigning for Sipora´s success for the award which will be announced at the Nepal Academy Hall in Kathmandu on September 11.
Sipora of Fishtail Higher Secondary School, who has been missing her training in the run-up to the major award of Nepali sport, gave a stiff challenge to Gyanu Baba Higher Secondary School led by Manju Gurung, former winner of the Pulsar Popular Award, but bowed out 25-18, 25-13, 25-18.
The friendly was jointly organized by Kaski Volleyball Association and Western Region Volleyball Association.
Sipora Gurung gets Far West backup
(BIKRAM GIRI)
MAHENDRANAGAR, Sept 3: As the Pulsar Sports Award draws closer, volleyball enthusiasts of the Far Western Region have intensified their campaign in support of Sipora Gurung, who has been nominated for the Pulsar Popular Player Award.
National volleyball player Gurung is one of the five nominees for the award which will be announced at the Nepal Academy Hall, Kathmandu on September 11. The player who gets maximum votes will take home the award.
Those involved in the campaign say that unlike the previous years voters have increased. “It was difficult for us to get votes for volleyball player Manju Gurung two years ago. But now it´s a different story,” says Hari Bhandari, a teacher from Baitadi.
Former national volleyball player Jagadish Bhatta is heading the campaign with support from national referees Ghansingh Rawal and Bhuvan Bhatta. They are enthusiastically distributing pamphlets not only in the city but also in the villages.
“There is a strong base for volleyball in this region. Our campaign is going on quite well,” said Bhatta, who has featured in four editions of the South Asian Games since 1993.
Former National Sports Council member Haraksingh Dhhami, who is also actively involved in the campaign says that he will take rest only after a week.
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