Goalkeeper Thapa training U-19 team

KATHMANDU (REPUBLICA): Veteran goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa is training the U-19 national football team as goalkeeping coach. Thapa, 27, was a member of the national football team that reached the semifinals of the recently concluded Eighth SAFF Championship on home soil. [break]



However, Thapa is not the official goalkeeping coach of the U-19 team that is preparing for the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers to be held from October 4-12 in Qatar. Thapa joined coaches Raju Kaji Shakya and Kishor KC in the training on September 13, two days after the completion of SAFF Championship.

"I am just teaching them some goalkeeping techniques and I am not the official goalkeeping coach," said the first-choice goalkeeper of Nepal Police Club who is in twilight of his football career.



Thapa has been the goalkeeper of Police for the past 10 years and has helped Police to a title hat-trick in the A division league. "The experience of training the team will also be helpful to me after I end my playing career," said Thapa, expressing interest in coaching job. This is the first time Thapa is coaching a high-profile team, though unofficially.

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