Bista, a resident of Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur who was admitted to the hospital on last Sunday was also the handball coach of the National Sports Council (NSC). Bista is survived by his wife and two sons.[break]
Bista´s body was kept at the NSC premises for last tribute on Saturday. Minister and the spokesperson of the government Gangalal Tuladhar paid last tribute to Bista and covered his body with the national flag. Similarly, All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) officials, NSC Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary, players, coaches and NSC employees also paid last tributes to Bista.
Bista, in the course of his decade-long football career starting in 1974, represented Nepal in seven different international tournaments.
Bista, whose task was to guard goalpost was also known as the ´tall man´ and was a member of national football squad which took part in the 1982 Asiad held in Delhi, India. The other events in which Bista had represented Nepal were the 1975 DCL Cup in New Delhi, the 1979 Aga Khan Gold Cup in Dhaka, the President Cup in Dhaka the same year, the 1980 Asian Youth Games in Bangladesh and the 1982 King´s Cup in Bangkok.
Bista played from Jawalkhel Youth Club, Sanepa Club, Norbuling and Boys Union Club (BUC). He was a goal keeper in the BUC squad that clinched the title of Tribhuwan Challenge Shield. He was the founder of Sunakhari Football Club that won the domestic league twice in the mid-70s and also won the King´s Cup held in Nepalgunj in 1974-75.
Later he quit football and became a handball coach. Bista´s younger son Samir had played from Nabil Three Star Club in the last edition of Martyrs Memorial A Division League Football Tournament. His elder son Rajesh is in America.
Bista´s wife Shakuntala has expressed her wish to open a trust in the name of her husband. "Rising up from the small area he went on to become a well known person in the entire nation. But now he has left us suddenly," she said.
Bista was the youngest among seven brothers. One of his brothers Sri Krishna who was in army remembers that his youngest brother used to bunk school and watch him play football. "He used to run away from the school to watch us play football," Sri Krishna said, adding, "He always wished to be a goalkeeper. Knowing his interest, I initially trained him on goal keeping. It didn´t take him long to learn how to catch the ball," reminisces Sri Krishna. "As he was the youngest member of the family, he was loved and pampered by everyone."
Sri Krishna said that he had watched his brother play only once. "A university team from Germany had arrived and I watched him play then. He played so well that I was shocked."
Dhirendra Pradhan, ANFA general secretary, who played along with Bista in the national squad remembers Bista as a friendly person. "Ranjan dai was extremely friendly with everyone. We were in the same squad in the 1982 Asiad and Bista, a tall person, was the most preferred goal kepeer," Pradhan said.
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