Coca-Cola Cup Central Level Tournament Begins

 November 16: The central level tournament of Coca-Cola Cup 2074 has kicked off in the capital from November 15.

Issuing a press statement, Coca-Cola said it is largest grassroots level school tournament in the country held in association with All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Coca-Cola Cup is structured to help provide Nepal’s youngsters an opportunity to nurture their talent in football and develop their skill. The tournament is divided into three stages: District Level, Regional Level and Central Level.

According to the company, the District Level tournament was held simultaneously in 43 districts starting from July 7 to 28, Regional Level tournament was held simultaneously in five regions at six venues starting from August 13 to 25 and Central Level tournament started from November 15 in Kathmandu.

The tournament is being organized in more than 43 districts affiliated to ANFA, featuring more than 35 schools from each district.

In the first match of the Central Level, Everest Secondary Academy (Sarlahi) defeated Lamxipur Secondary School (Kathmandu) 4-1.  Similarly, in the second match, Mahendra Memorial English Boarding School (Sunsari) defeated Sainik Awasiya Mahabidhyala (Kailali) 4-1. Likewise, in the third match, Bal Srijanalaya Secondary School (Kathmandu) defeated Maddhya Paschim Prahari School (Dang) 2-0. In the forth match, Orchid Academy(Nuwakot) defeated Scholars Home English Boarding School(Ruapndehi) 1-0. In the fifth match, Gajurmukhi English Boarding School(Kathmandu) defeated Bhanubhakta Memorial Boarding School (Morang) 2-0.

 The tournament, which started in 2063, also offers an opportunity to be scouted for a special training program run by ANFA. As a part of the program, ANFA scouts watch each match and choose the best players to train in the ANFA Football Academy, where selected players will train with some of the best football coaches in Nepal. These players will also be trained on nutrition and fitness by functional experts invited by ANFA.

The Coca-Cola Cup, in the past, has revealed talent that has helped Nepal build a strong national team. Players like Bishal Rai, Bikesh Kuthu, Rabin Shrestha, Heman Gurung, Bimal Gharti Magar, Aditya Chuadhary, Ananta Tamang and AnjanBista have all played at The Coca-Cola Cup in the past.