In this edition of Chitchat, we sat down with four young people to inquire about their craze for and opinions on sports. All of them admitted that among all the sports, football rules their hearts.
Participants
Surakshya Bajracharya, 20, Modern Nepal College, Bag Bazaar
Udeshya Khanal, 21, Chartered College of Management & Accountancy, Putali Sadak
Suresh Limbu and Depesh Shrestha, both 23, Kathmandu Don Bosco College, Koteshwor
Where do you prefer watching the matches?
Udeshya: Whenever there’s any national or international match going on. I go to sports bars with my friends where the matches are screened. Cheering for our favorite teams is so much fun.
Surakshya: I usually enjoy watching games at home on TV provided the video quality is good. Especially in international competitions, acquiring tickets, despite being organized on the home ground, isn’t easy. So home is the best place to watch the matches.
Depesh: I prefer watching the players in action right in front of my eyes in the stadiums.
Suresh: I also like watching live matches, in the stadiums.
Apart from Nepal, which country do you support during the games? And which is your favorite team?
Suresh: For football matches, I’m a supporter of the Netherlands. Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona are my other favorite teams.
Udeshya: Well, I support the game itself, and not a particular team. Whenever I’m watching a match, I expect both teams to perform their best. However, to name one, I’m a supporter of Spain when it comes to the World Cup. I also like the team coordination of Bayern Munich.
Depesh: I support Argentina for the football matches. Real Madrid is my favorite team.
L to R: Surakshya Bajracharya, Udeshya Khanal, Suresh Limbu and Dipesh Shrestha. (Bhaswor Ojha/Republica)
Surakshya: During the World Cup, I support Spain and Brazil.
Have you ever dreamt of becoming a national player?
Udeshya: Well, I’ve loved playing basketball, cricket, and football since my schooldays and I go for futsal too. But I don’t dream of pursuing any sport professionally. I play just to have fun with my friends.
Suresh: Back in school, I used to participate in many football tournaments. I wanted to play at the district and national levels but my family didn’t approve of it, saying it would hamper my studies and may cause injuries while playing.
If a team loses, the spectators have the tendency to criticize the performances of the players. To what extend do you think is that ethical?
Udeshya: Well, I guess it’s human nature to criticize the performers if they don’t do well. So it’s okay to comment on the performances but it shouldn’t offend anyone.
Suresh: Even the greatest of international players miss easy chances, so criticizing is okay.
Depesh: Just because they didn’t live up to the expectations of the audience once doesn’t mean they’re not good enough. Several reasons lead to failure at times but that doesn’t mean we lose respect for the players we used to adore previously.
Surakshya: If a team does well, everyone appreciates that. But if it misses an easy chance, they are accused of match fixing. It’s very easy to put the blame on them. But the audience should also try to understand that even the players feel sad if they lose.
What do you think should be done to promote sports in Nepal and better Nepali players?
Suresh: First of all, parents and teachers in schools should encourage the children to follow their dreams, and support if they are interested in making sports their career. More arrangements for trainings should be made. To encourage the national players, they should be rewarded with something substantial every time they play in a game. And even when they aren’t playing, they should be supported economically so that they are optimistic to dedicate themselves to the sports. More opportunities should be given to new and upcoming players.
Surakshya: There should be interactions and exchanges with international teams so that similar improvements can be brought in our teams as well. Inviting international coaches for trainings also can help a lot.
Udeshya: School tournaments should be encouraged so that children can practice from the very beginning. There should be proper coordination among the players of the teams. Also, Nepali players really need to increase their stamina and take care of their diet so that they can compete at international level.
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