KATHMANDU, July 17: Former national team midfielder Basanta Gauchan has said he is looking forward to establish a football academy in Nepal. Basanta, who is now working as a coach for Funroots Football Academy in Japan, shared his plan in the capital on Monday. 

“I feel that there is a need of good coaching academy to nurture young talents in Nepal. Since I have finished my coaching course in Japan, I want to open an academy in Nepal which will be connected to the Japanese football,” said Basanta who has completed a five-year AFC Future Coach Course alongside UEFA coaching course.  

Basanta, who is currently in Nepal alongside Funroots Academy president Jun Hirano, to distribute football training kits to a non-governmental organization named Shelter Aashraya Nepal, is planning to send a team of street children to participate in Street Child World Cup 2018 to be held in Russia next year. 

Basanta, who played domestic football with A division giants Manang Marsyangdi Club and NRT and won numerous titles before hanging his boots in 2009, used to be taken as one of the most talented midfielders of his generation. Basanta had received the national team call up for the first time in 1998 for a trip to Thailand in order to take part in 13th Asian Games. He was always an important member of the national team during his playing career, most notably in 1999 where Nepal reached the final of SAFF

Championship. His last appearance in national jersey came in 2009 in Prime Minister Cup held in Kathmandu. 

“In our time it was almost impossible to be connected with foreign football but now it is a bit easy. I want to connect Nepali players with Japanese football,” said Basanta who instructs kids in Funroots, an academy which has a tie-up with German club Borrusia Dortmund. 

Basanta, who hails from Pokhara, wants to establish an academy in his home city. “I chose Pokhara to open an academy because that is the place where I was born, grew up and learned to play football,” added Bsanta. “I am looking for land there, most probably the land will be managed within three years and then the academy will be built.”  
Funroots organizes Copa Puma Toreros Festival regularly in Japan where the youth teams from European and South American clubs participate. Nepali U-12 football team also participated in the tournament under the initiation of Basanta. 

“Funroots is a renowned academy in Japan and it has good relation with the Japan Football Association (JFA) as well. Once I open the academy, I hope to conduct exchange programs with Funroots which will help coaches coming from Japan to train our Nepali coaches,” Basanta shared his vision.

The former national team midfielder used to dream of playing in foreign leagues during his career but unfortunately he couldn’t accomplish that dream. However, now he dreams of helping Nepali players to play professional football in Japan. “I want to help young Nepali footballers to play in Japanese league or other foreign leagues, which used to be dream for myself at some point of my career,” concluded Basanta.
STREET CHILD WORLD CUP 

Meanwhile, Shelter Aashraya Nepal has said that it is sending a nine-member football team of street children to participate in Street Child World Cup 2018 to be held in Russia from May 19-27. According to Shelter Aashraya’s president Khusbu Oli, the Nepali players will be selected on the basis of their performance in a league where the street children will participate. 

“We will conduct the league very soon. A total of 22 children will be selected and will be kept in training camp,” said Khusbu Oli, adding, “And out of 22, only nine will be selected for the final squad that will travel to Russia.”

 
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