tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86002292379498068062024-02-29T07:43:58.484+08:00RangashalaBiplav Gautam on sports marketing and developmentBiplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comBlogger325125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-73222945461170886952024-01-21T02:03:00.005+08:002024-01-21T02:12:35.888+08:00Top flight football in Guatemala<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Between all the AFCON and AFC Asian Cup matches online right now, I was able to catch some live football while in Guatemala and viewed the first match of the </span><a href="https://ligagt.org/" target="_blank">Liga Guate</a><span> Clausura at the home stadium of </span><a href="https://antiguagfc.com/" target="_blank">Antigua GFC</a><span>, the local club of the charming former colonial capital about one hour outside of Guatemala City. Some musings from the game:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbAZxTxXPItYBJeNtKwN8lJM1XyyB-yfj_M_tM5FXZIbsKY0ZjF1VZA1cBvOWNofypg-Wf5lBnK9_WM58vPVqy5OW6qJVzbSUsbdui6cdvr1KKfj1csQtWR0NTaS5vXUPvfvVSSgAJJw78kWtB1O1f1njRbJ9rZUCUFeYFsJRlNVMfAizliXvo9CGHryRF" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="588" data-original-width="409" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbAZxTxXPItYBJeNtKwN8lJM1XyyB-yfj_M_tM5FXZIbsKY0ZjF1VZA1cBvOWNofypg-Wf5lBnK9_WM58vPVqy5OW6qJVzbSUsbdui6cdvr1KKfj1csQtWR0NTaS5vXUPvfvVSSgAJJw78kWtB1O1f1njRbJ9rZUCUFeYFsJRlNVMfAizliXvo9CGHryRF=w139-h200" width="139" /></a>Antigua GFC's mascot is an avocado! --->></li><li>Quite a few tourists, many who are students at the local Spanish language schools, attended the game. Most of the gringos were gone by halftime</li><li>There was Taco Bell food available inside the stadium. They are one of the team's sponsors. It can thus be definitively said that Antigua GFC has better food at their games than Aston Villa or Arsenal (two Premier League teams whose matches I attended during the Christmas/New Years holidays)</li><li>Turnout was a few hundred people (at most maybe 1,000) and it was a fairly quiet and polite crowd</li><li>Standard of play was probably a little below <a href="https://www.uslsoccer.com/usl-championship" target="_blank">USL Championship</a></li><li>There was enough merch on sale to satisfy hardcore supporters and plenty of fans were wearing team swag <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQgArez_FVyFFQy68xfwilyUYMzhoPbSt2rXywxA16aaELzCnFXLRiwDPzUCnyEkSCxOL50p_x0AjM0_5p-uPXY5mBcl1l0l5dLnD7NICWP_0enB8txjukEWltks0Pvg9HQ4FK338XT6sIVH7Qpuh8H7IoqOuFpffqiiNSH4PtH3gvmVUSpMR-WzC9Bhq4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQgArez_FVyFFQy68xfwilyUYMzhoPbSt2rXywxA16aaELzCnFXLRiwDPzUCnyEkSCxOL50p_x0AjM0_5p-uPXY5mBcl1l0l5dLnD7NICWP_0enB8txjukEWltks0Pvg9HQ4FK338XT6sIVH7Qpuh8H7IoqOuFpffqiiNSH4PtH3gvmVUSpMR-WzC9Bhq4=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photos from the home match of Antigua GFC</i></td></tr></tbody></table></li></ul></div>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-8831399291048666742024-01-16T01:08:00.002+08:002024-01-21T02:08:20.236+08:00Nepal Super League - just keep it going!<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4X2ijBASbW2QkT_WAONcqBgzJLtonXI_JiSNh2n-WLaQhrQcznBIG8OnAlbivs9Sl4NZRUfgv6qztefvG0bO7z9w8b33fur6p2VZ0DzxzV863aqGXU3SycFOIPAenps_CoOq4iu0qk5S5nrbmlLLDbK_vjWBBibLXhfnlumUCnCjcXGQcQGiviGpOhjJJ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Nepal Super League" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4X2ijBASbW2QkT_WAONcqBgzJLtonXI_JiSNh2n-WLaQhrQcznBIG8OnAlbivs9Sl4NZRUfgv6qztefvG0bO7z9w8b33fur6p2VZ0DzxzV863aqGXU3SycFOIPAenps_CoOq4iu0qk5S5nrbmlLLDbK_vjWBBibLXhfnlumUCnCjcXGQcQGiviGpOhjJJ=w400-h266" title="Nepal Super League" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy of Nepal Super League Facebook page</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Due to travel and time zones, I did not get to catch as much of the second edition of the Nepal Super League (NSL) as I might have hoped. Nonetheless, I received regular updates via social media and from folks on the ground. Here are a few brief takeaways from the recently completed competition:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>NSL is clearly a cut above any other football tournament in Nepal in terms of standard of play and marketing (both league and franchises). It provides a great benchmark for other soccer competitions in the country and contributes greatly to the football ecosystem<br /><br /></li><li>The NSL needs 3 or 4 more consecutive years of play to clearly embed itself in the football landscape. Continuity is key. Any potential hiatus and it risks becoming another political pawn in Nepali football politics - as it was in the last ANFA elections<br /><br /></li><li>NSL club franchises must be sustainable. If I am the NSL management, I take learnings from the likes of MLS (USA), ISL (India) and A-League (Australia) - all franchise leagues, and copy their best practices. Minimize costs, scale resources, create exclusivity and provide opportunities to generate revenues<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></li><li>You can't expect football fans in Kathmandu alone to sustain the NSL. Especially in an area that has so many other entertainment options. Games need to be played outside the Valley and franchises need to be able to tap into additional revenues a local fanbase and a dedicated venue can generate</li></ul><p></p><p>NSL is on the right track and has been a great boon for domestic football. It has given football fans and observers a peek into the potential of Nepali football. The main thing now is to just keep it going.</p>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-57644091152323617392023-12-03T01:58:00.004+08:002023-12-03T01:59:38.978+08:00Bhim Thapa<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had the good fortune to work and interact with Bhim Thapa on several occasions, including on a grassroots football coaching program we organized together in Morang district. At the time, grassroots football and coach education was not really appreciated by much of the Nepali football fraternity. I recall people questioning why we would waste our time training junior coaches and very young kids in the villages. Bhim Thapa knew exactly why! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">Farewell dear coach.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9yZyh5DseaK9dwZxfCZNmiSvVP64gf3LIRrMa0vKybZGtrn-p-QpthEa2JFOFr2EdhxZdwbhqnyChdPpAmHlHsu66miXnFaXKjp1rdZY2vY0rJllQqLDz4n410jzE-MLhsDs6T8i58KwXHWhIQOd19X6wYIUK56iz1W6mPTuOGRB5vK4fpmyj2XLYA4s/s720/251216_178944155492460_7791087_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Coaching program in Biratnagar" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9yZyh5DseaK9dwZxfCZNmiSvVP64gf3LIRrMa0vKybZGtrn-p-QpthEa2JFOFr2EdhxZdwbhqnyChdPpAmHlHsu66miXnFaXKjp1rdZY2vY0rJllQqLDz4n410jzE-MLhsDs6T8i58KwXHWhIQOd19X6wYIUK56iz1W6mPTuOGRB5vK4fpmyj2XLYA4s/w400-h300/251216_178944155492460_7791087_n.jpg" title="Coaching program in Biratnagar" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coaching clinic Bhim Thapa and I coordinated in Biratnagar<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIV89YbJisL5N_UXBNx6ZtE9SlQDn3BYif8YCqdtpiqrZAmKrNveC5I6-KD91MUgn8CuZAbpl18TBWmjshK1paOl5doEtXiRXSYvO-q9ONxfSjlWPpJReT4QETy-vckxRnWSy5bD5e0ceEVPXZ33ZdFDdyp2poYJdz8X-ARTtONA83SVf33fyS4G1T17O/s720/253798_178944172159125_7841603_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIV89YbJisL5N_UXBNx6ZtE9SlQDn3BYif8YCqdtpiqrZAmKrNveC5I6-KD91MUgn8CuZAbpl18TBWmjshK1paOl5doEtXiRXSYvO-q9ONxfSjlWPpJReT4QETy-vckxRnWSy5bD5e0ceEVPXZ33ZdFDdyp2poYJdz8X-ARTtONA83SVf33fyS4G1T17O/w400-h300/253798_178944172159125_7841603_n.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bhim Thapa teaching a group of aspiring coaches <br />from different villages across Morang district</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-90750542977916879262023-07-02T04:58:00.004+08:002023-07-02T04:58:52.241+08:00July 4th - Independence Day (USA)<p></p>I’ve had the privilege to live in 10+ countries and visit another 40 or so. There are so many beautiful and inspiring places globally but the opportunities, innovation, diversity, charitable ethos and pioneering spirit found in the U.S. are unmatched. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty amazing. That is why July 4th - Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays, as it provides an ideal moment to reflect on the greatness of this country and the unique and visionary foundations it was built on.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhni7xwheeUPhwdU87aBAdem4XBnLGt2rfwCWNJP7vDrL1s-W9sUmBAYu7RKoq8MGC594lCGEyzZP3ur_yMre7hW7G6-TgmRG1Mp-TT3Ga4K_hWqmiTp4qBodEBfxcLguCuZXhkcDlqYXVOXP3Qy8ILQxozMzj6lXJ8WbnuiwiyZZuZedWI9cQGs4i5MQCo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="578" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhni7xwheeUPhwdU87aBAdem4XBnLGt2rfwCWNJP7vDrL1s-W9sUmBAYu7RKoq8MGC594lCGEyzZP3ur_yMre7hW7G6-TgmRG1Mp-TT3Ga4K_hWqmiTp4qBodEBfxcLguCuZXhkcDlqYXVOXP3Qy8ILQxozMzj6lXJ8WbnuiwiyZZuZedWI9cQGs4i5MQCo=w158-h200" width="158" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p class="xmsonormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-50350763406040184252023-06-26T04:26:00.004+08:002023-06-26T04:30:38.474+08:00A Division results need to be decided on the pitch instead of off of it<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPETDuNr2mlyh0OtH7a_jpZMGuYH4mAeBcM1S0rwazMOgWuX99xZmK-OgDsyJJOC6n67grsz7fuRpN437q72R3kSyxiSF7TUYhVBc_AAKIzEuh4V-QvuM_eX-Q03Uo0twArnleGepBpSc8mu3Pi6kGsOwF2NY5Dxh7wrqtNox-EL7GPyqQLCAHNvrnm79H" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="687" data-original-width="820" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPETDuNr2mlyh0OtH7a_jpZMGuYH4mAeBcM1S0rwazMOgWuX99xZmK-OgDsyJJOC6n67grsz7fuRpN437q72R3kSyxiSF7TUYhVBc_AAKIzEuh4V-QvuM_eX-Q03Uo0twArnleGepBpSc8mu3Pi6kGsOwF2NY5Dxh7wrqtNox-EL7GPyqQLCAHNvrnm79H=w320-h269" title="Hamro Khelkud" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Division league table from <a href="https://www.hamrokhelkud.net/competition/adiv2079/" target="_blank">Hamro Khelkud</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Nepal's top flight football league experienced yet another chaotic finale with accusations of bias, unfairness, tanking and match-fixing all across the league table.</div></div><p></p><p>This is par for the course in Nepali football and primarily due to the competition organizers lacking common sense when developing the league format and competition rules. </p><p>Below are just a few givens when it comes to the A Division every time it is played:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Due to political mischief many clubs struggle to register foreign players for the start of the season</li><li>Key players depart in the middle of the season for opportunities abroad</li><li>Top clubs will use incremental prize money to buy wins and guarantee their places at the top of the table</li><li>Clubs in and near the relegation zone fix matches to avoid going down</li></ul><p></p><p>The phrase "the table does not lie" thus does not hold true in Nepal. Due to some of the above circumstance the final standing is usually not at all indicative of how strong club is but more representative of their political and financial might in getting players registered on time and fixing matches. For this reason a double-round league holds little value in Nepal.</p><p>Football officials should instead create a format that allows clubs to fight it out in meaningful end of season matches. Basically playoffs (though there are other little hacks, such as leveling the prize money, than can also help).</p><p>After the league stage, take the top 4,6 or 8 teams and let them compete in a single elimination playoff where all teams are incentivized to give it their all. Similarly, take the bottom four teams and have them play a one-off game where the loser gets relegated. With such formats in place, clubs will much less likely fix games or block other teams from registering their players on time (yes! that happens in Nepal) as they will know that eventually the playoff matches will be decisive and engaging in nefarious shenanigans is a waste of their time and money. Let the A Division results be decided on the pitch instead of off of it!</p><p><br /></p>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comKathmandu 44600, Nepal27.7172453 85.3239605-0.59298853617884717 50.1677105 56.02747913617884 120.4802105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-50634561218316377882022-05-29T18:18:00.001+08:002022-05-29T18:18:21.508+08:00Rangashala rebrand<p>Hard to believe that it's been 25 years that I've been involved in Nepali sports - more specifically football in the country. It all started in 1997, right after the 1st SAFF Cup, when I launched the <b>Nepal Football Homepage</b>, perhaps the first sports specific Nepali website. </p><p>Since launching the website, which I closed down in the mid-2000s to focus on other initiatives, I've been involved in Nepali football in different capacities, amongst them: organizing grassroots programs, running a club, writing a sports column in a national newspaper and donating resources to different projects.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGkw0YxlaL3GQo9Xisk7E8-Gb6XBHBU127qzs3WJvsabwpOKyRYlPeUz4V0kre067xDcA6PnKbiClGQ4mpQ067rNsceOKwPl8sfM3VjiPP8bxleIsOSM1GCr7SPL_qyMsUiEqI89LHZFqPm20ibKKNRFpZzJf_UA7AAZLl8wNnn53Lgpm5SHUge1SRQ/s820/rangashala%20banner%20fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="820" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGkw0YxlaL3GQo9Xisk7E8-Gb6XBHBU127qzs3WJvsabwpOKyRYlPeUz4V0kre067xDcA6PnKbiClGQ4mpQ067rNsceOKwPl8sfM3VjiPP8bxleIsOSM1GCr7SPL_qyMsUiEqI89LHZFqPm20ibKKNRFpZzJf_UA7AAZLl8wNnn53Lgpm5SHUge1SRQ/w400-h225/rangashala%20banner%20fb.jpg" title="New branding for the Rangashala platform" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New branding for the Rangashala platform</td></tr></tbody></table>In 2009, right after I left a role at the <b>Asian Football Confederation</b> to co-found a sports tech startup, I launched a blog focusing on Nepali sports topics that I titled <b>Rangashala</b>, which colloquially means 'stadium' in Nepali. In the first few years I ran the blog, I published close to 300 posts. Recently though, I've hardly touched the platform, mainly as there wasn't really anything original to write about. What I wrote in 2009 still held relevance a decade later. Furthermore, with the proliferation of social media, it was easier to just give my opinions in 140 or 280 characters than to write a 1000 word post to the very niche crowd that read my blog.</p><p>In the last 12 months, primarily due to the launch of the Nepal Super League - which really helped to renew my interest in Nepali football, I've been posting consistently on my Facebook Page about Nepali sports. As the algorithms for Facebook Pages are pathetic and it is hard to get any decent reach (I don't like to post from my personal Facebook account as most of my friends are schoolmates and relatives who have little interest in Nepali sports), I went on to create a WhatsApp group where I repost my Facebook Page posts and other extra content so that keen followers don't miss anything.</p><p>While adding members to my WhatsApp group upon request, I was quite taken aback at how many people that reached out to me specifically mentioned being fans of Rangashala. It was as though Rangashala itself was a brand, even though surely they were referring to my posts on the blog. </p><p>The timing of this revelation was perfect, as lately I have been considering how I could better get visibility for some of the many projects I am involved in. I have never felt comfortable highlighting my own name, so using a proxy brand like Rangashala would be ideal. For example, when I donate uniforms to a youth club they can just print the Rangashala logo on the kits as a sponsor. Certainly, that would be much more humble and pragmatic than having my name spelled out or even worse my photo printed on a jersey! </p><p>I'm also looking forward to organizing a few sports business & development events and creating a community of aspiring Nepali sports managers for which Rangashala would be a fitting umbrella brand to put both these initiatives under.</p><p>Convinced of this concept, I hired a Nepali graphic artist to design the Rangashala logo and the artwork for the Rangashala website and Facebook Page. You can see the results for yourself. I personally am thrilled with the results. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNNrz5-uuv0eWLFkpFMSKFkQZApbVpTRlxGSHLfkC4toX0W6F9JdrVGBIbVY-ECyYrhYYCRf5knbsLejt628iArh4o6QKCjqRHSXJ_tXsam3POwQIK7JavXoFgeUEeEJOItxssCHwAuwIkRvLYMFdzcn0l91f5PTf2Bc41SxSK4fNQFgE38A6eylY_g/s389/Rangashala%20Logo%20Vertical.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="389" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNNrz5-uuv0eWLFkpFMSKFkQZApbVpTRlxGSHLfkC4toX0W6F9JdrVGBIbVY-ECyYrhYYCRf5knbsLejt628iArh4o6QKCjqRHSXJ_tXsam3POwQIK7JavXoFgeUEeEJOItxssCHwAuwIkRvLYMFdzcn0l91f5PTf2Bc41SxSK4fNQFgE38A6eylY_g/s320/Rangashala%20Logo%20Vertical.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-12364421943347248972022-04-10T10:13:00.003+08:002022-04-10T10:17:36.807+08:00There are no secrets in Nepali football<p>The other day I was on a very long call with a Nepali football official - let's call him Mr. X. He was going on about how deeply he cared about football and that he was one of the few "nishwartha" (selfless) people involved in the local game. Mr. X claimed he was a giver and not a taker and only had the best interests of Nepali football in his heart. He went on to talk about his decades service to football and listed a litany of his accomplishments - which frankly was not that impressive.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrog4LTCHDdD9Q1BFf1aXwq2EkOOkAek-VnTVYEZtNrAWWGM3COPGlXuUWTlaUmc8MfEx5nxMKUp-2dajQwbL3TuWjVKJE1Vbgs9Rx81MoFQMC3PN5HKRxyqacJNi8c3Qb0m-kpETxEsNL1mOeGGFoY0vISWcEz15QahqmPC9khqBhsGjp65jrSBNg/s4820/Rangashala%20Blog%20No%20Secrets.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3084" data-original-width="4820" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrog4LTCHDdD9Q1BFf1aXwq2EkOOkAek-VnTVYEZtNrAWWGM3COPGlXuUWTlaUmc8MfEx5nxMKUp-2dajQwbL3TuWjVKJE1Vbgs9Rx81MoFQMC3PN5HKRxyqacJNi8c3Qb0m-kpETxEsNL1mOeGGFoY0vISWcEz15QahqmPC9khqBhsGjp65jrSBNg/w400-h256/Rangashala%20Blog%20No%20Secrets.jpg" title="No secrets in Nepali Football" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>A few hours later I was on another call, this time with a local sports equipment store. I had ordered a bunch of footballs for an academy I am supporting. I asked the sports equipment store owner for a discount on my purchase and he informed me that he always quotes me the very best rate, because unlike other football officials I don't ask for commission on my purchases. He then went on to give me an example of how one football official keeps asking him for very high margins on kickbacks and commissions thus he had no choice but to inflate his prices by almost 30-40% to them. The name of that official? You guessed it - it was Mr. X! </p><p>The fact is there are no secrets in Nepali football. Ones movements, meetings, conversations and behaviors are all tracked. Not by the state - North Korea style, but by a very close-knit society where everyone knows everyone and people love to gossip. Whether at weddings and festivals or by hotel managers and store keepers, word gets around and it gets around fast. It therefore really astounds me when Nepali football officials try to paint a false picture of themselves. Who are they trying to fool? Their secrets are out there for all to easily discover.</p><p>When I was directing Machhindra FC back in 2013/14, I would sometimes personally go to the Kalimati vegetable market to pick-up ingredients for our team meals. Many other clubs and ANFA also frequented the same market and coincidentally the same stalls. One of the vegetable sellers once showed me a few of the duplicate receipts he was producing for the different football organizations. Let's just say Nepali football players were eating some very expensive meals.</p>Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comKathmandu 44600, Nepal27.7172453 85.3239605-0.60813616138462834 50.16771049999997 56.042626761384625 120.48021050000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-79258056119813824622018-06-02T09:11:00.000+08:002018-08-16T09:16:51.985+08:00Regional cups sustaining Nepali football both nationally and locally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF_I3FeXmm35y8AgkbTtH1GZmAon8cz-IrUsUGREwYygHW34WKKzGOPD2kYQWZ3boW_nPMLoWA6wUPX7UPrvdDbVeTHPaONQQcI3YPxdrmqgK9_bTVVf7mn6h4Pu3Y1MLAEVuajvwUKuA/s1600/Nepalgunj.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF_I3FeXmm35y8AgkbTtH1GZmAon8cz-IrUsUGREwYygHW34WKKzGOPD2kYQWZ3boW_nPMLoWA6wUPX7UPrvdDbVeTHPaONQQcI3YPxdrmqgK9_bTVVf7mn6h4Pu3Y1MLAEVuajvwUKuA/s320/Nepalgunj.PNG" width="319" /></a></div>
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In the absence of top-level league competitions for the past
three years, regional cup competitions such as the Nepalgunj Gold Cup have been
crucial in sustaining Nepali football in this period. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Along with its sister tournaments in Pokhara, Dharan,
Butwal, Biratnagar, Birtamod, Simara and elsewhere, the Nepalgunj Gold Cup is
providing much needed matches and money to football stakeholders including national
level players, coaches, referees and clubs whose livelihoods and operations
have been severely jeopardized by the shutdown of league competitions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The regional cups are also a major boon to local football. For
fans - they bring celebrated clubs and players and high standard of matches,
which are mostly concentrated in Kathmandu, to different corners of the
country. For players - they provide a platform to compete against the top
talents and clubs in the country. For administrators - it gives them experience
in organizing tournaments and looking after the matches, logistics, sponsorship
and marketing that come along with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Furthermore, if well run, the regional cups can raise quite
a bit of revenue which ideally should be ploughed back into local football. For
example, Sahara Club Pokhara<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>s
impressive training centre was built on the profits of the Aaha! Gold Cup. Hopefully,
the Nepalgunj Gold Cup will eventually create a similar legacy, but for now it
is already playing a crucial role in supporting football at the national and
local levels.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-11106168926922229852018-01-26T20:25:00.001+08:002023-05-02T20:19:33.629+08:00Leave sports logos to the professionals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZvmsMKSsB8Q9LouUU5RfkZ2dy3STDAy9jeF8fBfWmu3JWPYu0PCOIzvaDwdnKrSie641-pHXBgoONhf3xvwjX91u3cO_GUgzOyYb8wTHqyG4RDbqdC9S9FfJHKH-daT5JyVLiGi8b139/s1600/leeds.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="895" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZvmsMKSsB8Q9LouUU5RfkZ2dy3STDAy9jeF8fBfWmu3JWPYu0PCOIzvaDwdnKrSie641-pHXBgoONhf3xvwjX91u3cO_GUgzOyYb8wTHqyG4RDbqdC9S9FfJHKH-daT5JyVLiGi8b139/s320/leeds.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
Yielding to highly negative backlash from fans and observers, less than 48 hours after historic English football side Leeds United launched their new club badge <a href="https://www.leedsunited.com/news/club-news/22927/club-statement-crest-consultation" target="_blank">they scrapped it</a>.<br />
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The irony here is that Leeds United actually claims to have consulted 10,000 people in developing the new badge. I don't doubt it for a moment and there is a valuable lesson here - something as important as the club badge should be left to professionals and not crowd-sourced!<br />
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Having a bit of a sports logo fetish, I have seen this play out many times - where clubs leave badge ideas to their fans and ultimately end-up with a total disaster or if lucky <a href="https://twitter.com/pjrangers/status/812160684037287940" target="_blank">something fairly average</a>.<br />
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One of the worst examples of logos-gone-wild unfortunately happened to the club that I support - Aston Villa. In the late 2000's they developed their new badge based on a fan survey and the logo turned out to be a total mess. For example they asked something like if supporters preferred "Aston Villa", "Aston Villa FC", "Aston Villa Football Club" or "AVFC" on the club badge. The majority preferred some version of the unique club name but the vote was split three ways among the non-acronym options and AVFC ended up with the highest vote percentage at a mere 30% or so. Thus AVFC made its way onto the badge, an absolute tragedy as one of the most special characteristic of the club is its non traditional name. <i>There are many United's and FC's, but only one Villa!</i> is a popular cry among the club's faithful.<br />
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The acronym AVFC was just one of many defects of the crowd-sourced logo. Ask any competent graphic designer and they could identify another dozen flaws with the crest. It's one reason I have refused to purchase a Villa kit for nearly a decade.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-H87558-I0IKlnTqZpPHaE_xr36YlDHqDe9VMR1KtG_bSSpggZsv6JqXdV65tyRbKHwGv7kR6-jTotoy5XRxmOwi-HekhsGSZhtDzavtn0Ap4Q4xy9C_OcBjlP4WtqEOmJKnWGv5g8Jf/s1600/villa.PNG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="635" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-H87558-I0IKlnTqZpPHaE_xr36YlDHqDe9VMR1KtG_bSSpggZsv6JqXdV65tyRbKHwGv7kR6-jTotoy5XRxmOwi-HekhsGSZhtDzavtn0Ap4Q4xy9C_OcBjlP4WtqEOmJKnWGv5g8Jf/s320/villa.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new Villa badge and the recently updated version (right)</td></tr>
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A few years later Aston Villa spent <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/aston-villa-badge-club-spend-80000-to-remove-the-word-prepared-from-crest-a6972696.html" target="_blank">GBP 80,000 to alter the faulty badge</a>. It's still pretty poor. Hopefully the club management will do a proper update soon. (UPDATE: <a href="https://www.avfc.co.uk/history/club-crest/">Villa changed their crest in 2023</a>)<br />
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On the other hand, despite early criticism from traditionalists, sports organizations like <a href="http://interbrand.com/work/beyond-entertainment-beyond-lifestyle-juventus-is-an-identity/" target="_blank">Juventus</a> and <a href="https://www.pentagram.com/work/big-ten/story" target="_blank">Big Ten Conference</a> developed new identities that were masterpieces through collaborations with leading design and branding firms Interbrand and Pentagram respectfully. Amazing the results you can achieve when you hire competence.<br />
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-79191160631217216482018-01-14T10:34:00.000+08:002018-01-14T10:40:51.422+08:00Don't expect EPL T20 clone in football<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp8K64M7aA9dBTt5TYHWRXbL-92UYIAfuPDYIVt5klC1CAdmQdWkdmxnuwPZu_556Avi5P8mgKaIfczROrpLNqmrkSqQnLIC9DX3V1ot7vfotYYtEqtjw7rzM1JTFe4nqhadqsg8Z9dRB/s1600/Cricket.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="1230" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp8K64M7aA9dBTt5TYHWRXbL-92UYIAfuPDYIVt5klC1CAdmQdWkdmxnuwPZu_556Avi5P8mgKaIfczROrpLNqmrkSqQnLIC9DX3V1ot7vfotYYtEqtjw7rzM1JTFe4nqhadqsg8Z9dRB/s400/Cricket.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowd at EPL finals at TU Ground. Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.udiptsinghchhetry.com.np/" target="_blank">Udipt Singh Chhetry</a></td></tr>
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By all accounts the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Everest_Premier_League" target="_blank">Everest Premier League </a>T20 tournament was a grand success. It saw good crowds, a strong stable of sponsors and formidable media interest. Moreover it had buzz. My Facebook timeline would be filled with posts from friends and acquaintances discussing the tournament. Even my buddies, who well know I am not a cricket aficionado, were texting me about the the ongoing action including the peripheral "cricketainment", <a href="https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nothing-can-stop-everest-premier-league-getting-bigger-aamir-akhtar/" target="_blank">as event organizer Aamir Akhtar puts it</a>, around the event.<br />
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For sports enthusiasts like myself, the EPL T20 showed that there is the capacity in Nepal to run a well marketed and fan friendly sports event. Hats off to the organizers.<br />
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So could we expect something similar in football perhaps?<br />
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At the local level tournaments such as the Aaha Gold Cup in Pokhara and the recent Khaptad Gold Cup in Dhangadhi do bring excitement to their localities, but the entertainment quotient is not quite up to par and these competitions lack national appeal. The onus to create something similar to the EPL T20 in football thus lies either with ANFA, the governing body of football in Nepal, or an entrepreneurial person or two from the private sector.<br />
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ANFA has failed to organize a top level league for the past 3 years, so certainly there is little hope in expecting them to do anything anytime soon. That then leaves the private sector.<br />
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Unfortunately, unlike its cricket brethren Cricket Association Nepal (CAN) that is dysfunctional, toothless, and currently suspended, ANFA is only dysfunctional. Toothless and suspended it is not and there lies the challenge.<br />
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Through its former president Ganesh Thapa, who essentially governs the national body by proxy and through family members embedded in the organization, ANFA maintains strong political links domestically which it continues to exploit to implement its nefarious modus operandi. For the past 25 years ANFA's M-O has essentially been to negatively disrupt any football initiatives that are not directly organized by itself. It is a case of "afoo pani nagarni, aroo lai pani garna nadini" (Not doing it yourself and not letting anyone else do it either).<br />
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A few of the bright spots in local football such as the <a href="http://www.rangashala.com/2013/02/futsal-revolutionizing-nepali-football.html" target="_blank">proliferation of futsal courts is due its rapid rise blindsiding the football authorities</a> or else futsal's growth may have also been derailed.<br />
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Ultimately, one can expect that any attempt to hire a ground, secure sponsors and develop media partnerships for an EPL T20 style football league being sabotaged by ANFA and its nexus, thus is the sad reality of football in Nepal. </div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-5329018545194250472017-12-25T15:24:00.002+08:002017-12-25T15:33:46.871+08:00Everest climbing feature in NYT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Though we are at the tail end of 2017, I came across possibly my favorite article of the year just this week. It was a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/18/sports/everest-deaths.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0" target="_blank">terrific feature by the New York Times</a>, with some incredible multimedia, on the attempt to recover the bodies of Indian climbers that had perished on Mt. Everest a little more than a year ago.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpnZs3LHoLT9bsaU7dO_Q7DZT8K-mW4dzciH4uC8ZO1ncsbgYCbGBN49eTM33cnD1m1zgCdliwiGPbWscvxsbtFAOrJdK6pg7qIqu35_HSkY2gIjsZGzd9HVu2iag_MXQhFJE1jb3jaw6/s1600/280C8278-79FF-4363-8CA7-CDE0595ABB5F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pokhara, Nepal, Museum" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpnZs3LHoLT9bsaU7dO_Q7DZT8K-mW4dzciH4uC8ZO1ncsbgYCbGBN49eTM33cnD1m1zgCdliwiGPbWscvxsbtFAOrJdK6pg7qIqu35_HSkY2gIjsZGzd9HVu2iag_MXQhFJE1jb3jaw6/s320/280C8278-79FF-4363-8CA7-CDE0595ABB5F.jpg" title="International Mountain Museum" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">International Mountain Museum</td></tr>
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I actually went on a bit of a Himalayan/Everest/mountaineering splurge after reading the article, including watching several great videos on YouTube on the subjects and listening to the<i> <a href="http://www.jonkrakauer.com/books/into-thin-air-tr" target="_blank">Into Thin Air</a> </i>audio-book, the gripping personal account of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Mount_Everest_disaster" target="_blank">1996 Everest disaster</a> written by Jon Krakauer. Obviously, Nepal's connection to these topics make it that the more intriguing and salient.<br />
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Just a few weeks ago, as a relative novice on all things "mountain", I had visited the <a href="http://www.internationalmountainmuseum.org/" target="_blank">International Mountain Museum</a> in Pokhara - a fairly impressive exhibition that sits on a 5 hector compound. With my new insights the next visit there should be even more enriching.</div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-11374390879403934552017-12-17T17:09:00.000+08:002018-01-01T14:14:48.592+08:00Aviation Museum Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I know from experience that just <a href="http://www.rangashala.com/p/charity.html">donating footballs</a> to kids can be such a challenge in Nepal. There are so many things one needs to deal with including customs clearance, political interests and social pressures. Imagine purchasing and transporting an airplane and then <a href="http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-12-31/all-aboard-20171231113800.html" target="_blank">building an aviation museum</a>. Lots of respect to Mr. Bed Upreti for doing just that, not only once, but twice!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lEnlHbh7J1Y" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-87153448865639516812017-08-13T18:33:00.001+08:002017-08-14T15:04:17.610+08:00Lack of consistency the one constant in Asian sports<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPGBqX7wMRkiod4lTAZ75EOCJbH965KaVWKZ5J39BYqHZtyLF335Ws-zstXTaxvgHPlXBsHyuYTPVe-q6Tc5khX9eQzatK4BfThUPKB5O9tGB9OzXB_mTedglIo-8IPXPEcZIH06HuGdn/s1600/tiro-160574_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPGBqX7wMRkiod4lTAZ75EOCJbH965KaVWKZ5J39BYqHZtyLF335Ws-zstXTaxvgHPlXBsHyuYTPVe-q6Tc5khX9eQzatK4BfThUPKB5O9tGB9OzXB_mTedglIo-8IPXPEcZIH06HuGdn/s200/tiro-160574_640.png" width="200" /></a>The start of the European football season is always a good reminder of one of the major difference between sports in Europe (and North America for that matter) and Asia - <b>CONSISTENCY</b>.</div>
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Ask the average sports fan that follows a European or North American league and most could easily tell you when the competition will start, the number of participating teams, how many teams make the Champions League or Playoffs and the number of clubs that will be relegated.</div>
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Pose the same questions about the majority of Asian leagues and tournaments and even hardcore supporters will struggle to answer. From the high end <a href="http://www.foxsportsasia.com/news/new-afc-cup-format-explained-draft-not-ready/" target="_blank">Asian Football Confederation</a> and Japanese <a href="https://www.jleague.jp/en/news/article/7841/" target="_blank">J-League</a> tournaments to aspiring leagues of <a href="http://www.buriramtimes.com/thai-football-leagues-name-format-changes/" target="_blank">Southeast</a> and <a href="http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/indian-football-afc-offers-recommendations-on-future-roadmap/dl1g6cmjz4bs1ehp91ljz63j3" target="_blank">South Asia</a> lack of consistency is the one constant in Asian sports.</div>
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Business markets love stability and hate uncertainty. It is not much different when it comes to sports. Certainly, the unpredictability of what happens on the field of play is what makes sports exciting, but off of it sports stakeholders want a stable and consistent product. It is this stability that has fans, sponsors, broadcasters and investors flocking to the European and North American sports markets.</div>
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So to Asian sports leaders either contemplating a meditation retreat or hiring overpriced consultants to provide a silver bullet solution that will fix your ailing competitions, I give you my simple and free advice: <b>consistency is the key</b>!</div>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-7949683357484467852017-07-27T09:43:00.001+08:002017-07-27T09:46:52.580+08:00Winners versus losers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVwYz3TckM4iYf9bFCVC0AJvpLnp43keGXX5ZufFALdBo28G5lBTH2XJlhSXG3moZQg_7psCd58zGJfYIZVqbu1rdg6PiYxaxzGTQw97kJnhp4XQN2CWTET-vguPznwlqt2-R7BV-iBt5/s1600/winner+loser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="650" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVwYz3TckM4iYf9bFCVC0AJvpLnp43keGXX5ZufFALdBo28G5lBTH2XJlhSXG3moZQg_7psCd58zGJfYIZVqbu1rdg6PiYxaxzGTQw97kJnhp4XQN2CWTET-vguPznwlqt2-R7BV-iBt5/s320/winner+loser.jpg" width="320" /></a>From a development officer at AFC to a sports business professional and a few side hustles along the way, I have been privileged to meet with sports organizations in virtually all corners of Asia.<br />
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Whether it is the biggest and wealthiest or the smallest and most destitute, all sports entities seem to cherish any opportunity to carp about their challenges.<br />
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I've heard it all before - from the rich complaining about affluence to the poor griping about allocation of handouts and from the big whining about travel distances to the small moaning about the lack of geographic spread.<br />
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Everyone has their issues. What separates the successful sports organizations from the ones that flounder is how they choose to get on with it. A field hockey coach said it best in an article I once read - "Ultimately, losers find excuses, while winners find solutions." So is your sports organization seeking excuses or solutions?</div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-51952312541774080012016-09-19T21:28:00.000+08:002016-09-30T21:59:15.603+08:00A salute to the Singapore Grand Prix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobbEGFbXMJLEmJ0B9V_if0gJe_5YI8RulwIYK3V-3oywlyyKlu_rs-HQMy66pMDgSA0R7RgpCrFBUkI1SWEhbyz51L25zg7mMXur7HK4EJSZG_OVz1n0GM8hEJpCRYHB_Yw55oII1YZtX/s1600/sgp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobbEGFbXMJLEmJ0B9V_if0gJe_5YI8RulwIYK3V-3oywlyyKlu_rs-HQMy66pMDgSA0R7RgpCrFBUkI1SWEhbyz51L25zg7mMXur7HK4EJSZG_OVz1n0GM8hEJpCRYHB_Yw55oII1YZtX/s320/sgp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've been fortunate to attend many sports events in my day and rarely do I come away massively impressed, but that is exactly how I felt after attending the <a href="http://www.singaporegp.sg/" target="_blank">Singapore Grand Prix</a>.<br />
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What is truly remarkable is that the organizers go all out for this event and they have been doing it every year for nearly a decade. They take no shortcuts or half-hearted measures. The race takes place at night, on the roads of downtown Singapore, and it is filled with a whole host of supporting activities and events including world renowned music acts. This year Kylie Minogue, Queen and Imagine Dragons were in town.<br />
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The coordination required to pull-off an event like this is immense and in the two days I was at the event I did not encounter or notice a single hitch. If anything I was absolutely floored to find things like the queue for the subway after the race shorter than the normal lines on weekdays after work.<br />
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I can't imagine too many places around the globe being able to emulate what Singapore has done with the Grand Prix and long may they be able to host a Formula 1 race. Hats off to the Lion City.<br />
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-49772590334103350802016-07-30T21:49:00.000+08:002016-07-30T21:49:36.091+08:00Nepalgunj Gold Cup shows glimpse of Nepal's football potential<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US">I wrote the following for the Nepalgunj Gold Cup post-tournament report:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US">The Nepalgunj Gold Cup is another example of Nepal's football potential. Located in a region of the country where football lacks maturity, this
was the first major tournament held in the vicinity for over 35 years and it
proved to be highly successful. The crowds were strong, media coverage
formidable, and several sponsors such as Yeti Cement and Xiaomi supported the
event. Perhaps most impressive was to see Dish Home satellite TV broadcast the
competition live on its platform. If Nepalgunj is capable of achieving all of
this, the prospects are even greater for the traditional hotbeds of Nepali
football in the central and eastern parts of the country which economically
also tend to be more robust.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white;">Undoubtedly,
tournaments like the Nepalgunj Gold Cup will help grow football in the local
area. If just a few footballers from Nepalgunj and Banke District can then
ultimately make an impact on the national stage, already Nepali football will
have improved significantly. Now the challenge is for the organizers to give
continuity to the Nepalgunj Gold Cup. If they are successful in achieving this,
the long-term legacy of the tournament will be formidable.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IGTPvnySqdzPqQ6yhpLzNGJPlMd-v49tvzTVV5f04Y6_JFoqv2_z6MH2aB4aKwnmSFXQC2zRHL-cldHd_7FIvcQY2sFVdkEjtJIj4jHoB0jyPp9nvdjWAMYBn1SLGDMx4x1oBul0e614/s1600/Nepalgunj+Gold+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IGTPvnySqdzPqQ6yhpLzNGJPlMd-v49tvzTVV5f04Y6_JFoqv2_z6MH2aB4aKwnmSFXQC2zRHL-cldHd_7FIvcQY2sFVdkEjtJIj4jHoB0jyPp9nvdjWAMYBn1SLGDMx4x1oBul0e614/s400/Nepalgunj+Gold+Cup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening of the Nepalgunj Gold Cup</td></tr>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-36724684624653673102016-07-13T15:43:00.005+08:002016-07-13T16:15:35.888+08:00Footballs to Sindhupalchowk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Excited to partner with </span><a href="http://www.goalnepal.com/news.php?id=27688" target="_blank">GoalNepal.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> and provide footballs to 12 schools in earthquake affected areas of Sindhupalchowk. I trust that participation in sports will serve as one way to help rehabilitate students from the trauma of the earthquake. Furthermore, I hope the kids at the schools can find the same joy in football and sports that I have found throughout my life and career.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JVxRAi4MTTpDSq3WxcHt6BT38alo2AaXrTCSEa4_kLyq6__VfEPlZwg5ScXCxwIn6Ln3BCoWJokP04-V1hMkxWWOw02Eo00oJG6nG-A-5tJfZLQFgd1qQwSY-G6imi96PevB6MzbjBGq/s1600/IMG_5480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JVxRAi4MTTpDSq3WxcHt6BT38alo2AaXrTCSEa4_kLyq6__VfEPlZwg5ScXCxwIn6Ln3BCoWJokP04-V1hMkxWWOw02Eo00oJG6nG-A-5tJfZLQFgd1qQwSY-G6imi96PevB6MzbjBGq/s320/IMG_5480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlnK-DSn8Po8YMT6D9JiSTFd5Br3KJRIRNAu7Wpg-tJhlms7TaT9eSU3aM_Af7GBhAafxjY0gl_sMoRnKQNT3Jflo6Fem1Xt55fBGY8KwmQSobgWWHtExd50XHl8f3LchJDdMO8e0_d6g/s1600/IMG_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlnK-DSn8Po8YMT6D9JiSTFd5Br3KJRIRNAu7Wpg-tJhlms7TaT9eSU3aM_Af7GBhAafxjY0gl_sMoRnKQNT3Jflo6Fem1Xt55fBGY8KwmQSobgWWHtExd50XHl8f3LchJDdMO8e0_d6g/s320/IMG_5481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR912wkSJG8tj-N7N7Sa0iKeueY7j4NqfwHHr0NLQ7bfmkFf7otYxgMg0ln1q5OTK1tpbJ1RJ1AJfr8UY_6Bpy8Uj9h_I5-NMOdUpCzstJNAXnf1CZz-q501ix-vlq9S6DdXtgIR4Q3VE/s1600/13654397_1216983358365153_6935112267473981167_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR912wkSJG8tj-N7N7Sa0iKeueY7j4NqfwHHr0NLQ7bfmkFf7otYxgMg0ln1q5OTK1tpbJ1RJ1AJfr8UY_6Bpy8Uj9h_I5-NMOdUpCzstJNAXnf1CZz-q501ix-vlq9S6DdXtgIR4Q3VE/s320/13654397_1216983358365153_6935112267473981167_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-11387241895205796292016-07-02T21:43:00.001+08:002016-07-03T06:38:01.135+08:00Iceland’s football style not so unfamiliar to Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhTly4xkjUNwLmWXRtkiFdtNlJyPptuaEmQ2VV8uV2l3iirUSe9CPwnQuVuJ6xRU5TUMmODG6orO9wh3a4rAmQ4t495aoa_Lhb3ABdBawpBldBJZmAgDnxpl_nAN-jO4F7Mf0_PHlGg6f/s1600/1900536_10151865929931862_250214978_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhTly4xkjUNwLmWXRtkiFdtNlJyPptuaEmQ2VV8uV2l3iirUSe9CPwnQuVuJ6xRU5TUMmODG6orO9wh3a4rAmQ4t495aoa_Lhb3ABdBawpBldBJZmAgDnxpl_nAN-jO4F7Mf0_PHlGg6f/s320/1900536_10151865929931862_250214978_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machhindra's former coach Johan Kalin</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;">(This article</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"> <a href="http://www.myrepublica.com/news/1321" target="_blank">originally appeared in Republica</a>)</span><br />
<br />
One of the major storylines and remarkable stories of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament has been the fairytale run of Iceland. A country of just 330,000 inhabitants, long winters and limited outdoor football facilities, is undefeated heading into their quarterfinal match with hosts France.<br />
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Iceland’s Euro 2016 journey included a draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal side, a victory over the tournament dark-horses Austria and a shocking upset against England.<br />
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Coincidentally, there is an obscure link between Iceland’s national team and football in Nepal and it comes via Johan Kalin, the former head coach of Machhindra Football Club, an A-Division club in Nepal. Kalin, who hails from Sweden and continues to coach there at the lower leagues levels, has long been an admirer of fellow countryman and Iceland’s head coach Lars Lagerback.<br />
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“My coaching style and philosophy is highly influenced by Lagerback,” claims the 39-year-old, “If you look at the way Machhindra was developed and played when I was head coach it was very similar to Iceland.”<br />
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In terms of philosophy, Kalin explains that he sees the game in the same way to Lagerback, who previously coached Sweden from 2000 until 2009.<br />
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“We both believe in a foundation of defensive organization, a lot of running, strong team spirit and loyal players. That is what I tried to instill at Machhindra,” says Kalin, who coincidentally resides in the northern part of Sweden which geographically mimics Iceland.<br />
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“We played 4-4-2 and started to defend pretty low. We used a zonal defense all over the pitch and our focus was on creating 1 or 2 strong chances instead of 7 or 8 weak ones. Iceland did all this to perfection against England.”<br />
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Machhindra’s success under Kalin paralleled Iceland’s achievement of rising from 112 in the FIFA World Rankings to 34th in the latest one.<br />
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Perennial relegation candidates Machhindra over exceeded expectations and finished second in the Martyr’s League A-Division in Kalin’s lone season in Nepal in 2013-14. The White Lions were victorious in all their Super League matches and were only one point adrift of champions Manang Marshyangdi Club in the final accumulated table.<br />
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“Like Iceland we did not have the big names in the squad so we had to rely on team spirit and tactics,” Kalin reminisces, “It took some time for the Machhindra players to buy into the concept and we struggled early, but when everything came together we were a formidable force - just as Iceland has become.”</div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-13553932722540068312016-06-26T16:55:00.001+08:002016-06-26T17:00:46.701+08:00Ingredients there, but cooks missing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2iMbcfuO1RnB_6qdfSKfDbielcnmd4c095X1VHbi1qfar9NZDzDtHqRl1FqbTQ_aMUe9P_OTE8vBiwg-v8RY4Ws9WyPTw32L1lhsy9Wl3xCG71nEqWnrdNOAiXSuG1crKaEn8stWUaB9/s1600/IMG_3414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2iMbcfuO1RnB_6qdfSKfDbielcnmd4c095X1VHbi1qfar9NZDzDtHqRl1FqbTQ_aMUe9P_OTE8vBiwg-v8RY4Ws9WyPTw32L1lhsy9Wl3xCG71nEqWnrdNOAiXSuG1crKaEn8stWUaB9/s320/IMG_3414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://goalnepal.com/">GoalNepal.com</a></td></tr>
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I should be used to it by now but I still get chills seeing photos like the one above. Nepal's appetite for football is insatiable. From the capital city of Kathmandu to most rural of villages of the country it is common to see packed crowds at football tournaments and thus fans finding creative means to get a glimpse of the action - whether it is from a rooftop, treetop or mountaintop.<br />
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In the last few months, to fill the void of the top level club championship, there have been dozens of tournaments across the country and the crowds, media coverage and sponsorship have been impressive. If all of these assets could be harnessed in a professional and systematic way the potential of Nepali football is massive. The ingredients are all there for Nepali football to flourish, it is just in desperate search for some good cooks. </div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-16112368246404259362016-03-01T21:49:00.000+08:002016-03-06T20:31:38.127+08:00A few thoughts on Asean football<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super cup between Buriram and MTU in Bangkok</td></tr>
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As the start of the various leagues in the ASEAN region are around the corner, I thought I would share my thoughts on some of them.<br />
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<b>Thailand</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
With formidable results by its national teams and Buriram United's performance in the last edition of the AFC Champions League, it looked like Thailand was ready to graduate to the next tier of Asian football. Chonburi's 9-0 drubbing by FC Tokyo in the 2016 ACL playoffs however was a big reality check (MTU's 0-3 scoreline to Shanghai SIPG, despite a good performance, also did not help), showing that Thailand still has a ways to go to join the elite of Asian football.<br />
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That does not take away from the emergence of the <strike>Thai Premier League</strike> Premier League Thailand as one of the livelier leagues in Asia. In terms of marketing and fan culture, Thailand is right up there with any league in the continent. There are also plenty of websites, blogs and social media channels that provide information that make the league quite easy to follow. If the level of play on the field can catch-up with the off-the-field successes of the league and its clubs, and the constant politics in Thai football were to finally subside, the PLT has a chance of being one of the top Asian leagues.<br />
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Buriram United and Muangthong United will battle it out for the domestic crown, though it seems Buriram is still at a higher tier than MTU. Buriram's exploits in Asia <strike>will be</strike> should have been interesting to follow. Unfortunately, they have self-destructed from the get-go.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Malaysia</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I was about to write a blog post titled "Malaysian football's Malaysian problem". The gist of the piece was to argue that until the level of Malaysian players improve, Malaysian club football will be stuck at the AFC Cup level. With the AFC's 3+1 rule at a minimum 7 players on the pitch have to be Malaysian, therefore no matter the quality of the foreigners it is hard to see Malaysian clubs play in the AFC Champions League. After JDT's solid performance against Muangthong United of Thailand in the ACL qualifying round, I thought it was a bit unfair to publish such an article - because not just Malaysia but the entire region has the same issue.<br />
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Malaysian football has the fans and kind of has the money, but what they are seriously lacking is a large pool of quality players. That is why credit must be given to JDT and the vision of HRH Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim in heavily investing in youth development in the state of Johor through a serious and credible partnership with Borussia Dortmund.<br />
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The other thing missing in Malaysian club football is professional management. The off the pitch drama is a total soap opera and that certainly has an affect on what happens on the pitch.<br />
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Selangor and Felda look set to be near the top of the table but it is hard to pick against JDT. They will likely lift multiple trophies this season.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Singapore</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I had lost my enthusiasm for the S-League a few weeks back. The team I keep an eye on, Geylang International FC, had a miserable season in 2015. Home United moved out of Yishun Stadium, which is right next to my residence, and FAS provided a poor vote of confidence to the S-League by announcing it was going to be a development league for the mysterious Asean Super League - which only FAS seems to know about.<br />
<br />
Things however changed in a hurry. Lions XII were kicked-out of the Malaysian tournaments thus most of their players dispersed to S-League sides. Tampines Rovers signed Jermaine Pennant and several prominent sponsors partnered with the league and clubs.<br />
<br />
The S-League became interesting again and early season crowds have been quite good. Hopefully, this will bring some stability to the league and perhaps a few defunct local clubs will consider joining the league again in the near future.<br />
<br />
Tampines look like the title favorites. Albirex could make some noise.<br />
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<b>Vietnam</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I had the privilege to tour Vietnam at the beginning of the year and meet the V-League management and visit with all the clubs. It feels as though the V-League and Vietnamese football is in the ascendancy. While it cannot be compared to the more mature football nations in Asia, I was relatively impressed with the marketing and management of the V-League. Also Vietnam has a strong crop of youth players, several that are training Korean and Japanese clubs.<br />
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Becamex Bin Duong was very impressive against Muangthong United of Thailand (This team is everywhere! Third reference in this blog post) in a preseason friendly in Ho Chi Minh City. They have gotten off to a respectable start in the AFC Champions League as well. They should easily win the V-League.<br />
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<b>Bonus: Laos</b><br />
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Afraid I'm not too familiar with Laotian football, but I did stumble upon the <a href="http://www.lanexangunited.com/fc/" target="_blank">Lanexang United</a> website the other day. Quite impressive for a developing football nation.</div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-36125091980154547862015-12-05T13:13:00.000+08:002016-01-03T02:36:04.547+08:00Nepali fans cheated by match-fixers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nepali football fans in Malaysia</td></tr>
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I was at the Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor, Malaysia in October of 2008 to watch the Nepal - Sierra Leone match in the Merdeka Cup. At the time I was an Asian Football Confederation staff member based in Kuala Lumpur. There were another 800-1,000 Nepali fans at the game as well, most of them laborers working in Malaysia.<br />
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Shah Alam Stadium is not the most convenient stadium to get to. About 40 minutes or so from Kuala Lumpur, it is not very accessible by mass transport. A taxi ride there costs around $25-30 from the city center. If you consider ticket, food and opportunity costs, for a Nepali laborer earning between $200-$300 a month, making a trip to watch that game was a considerable investment.<br />
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Life in Malaysia can be tough for Nepali laborers. Many have to deal with less than ideal working conditions including hazardous work places, long hours, low pay and years without seeing their family. As a result, alcoholism and drug abuse are quite common. According to the Nepal Embassy approximately 1 Nepali laborer dies everyday in Malaysia (between 300-400 a year). Many of the deaths are a result of substance abuse and suicide.<br />
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A chance to watch Nepal's national team was certainly an investment for the laborers, but it was also a great reprieve - a chance to escape their daily ordeal and for 2 hours freely, proudly and passionately wave their national flag and support their heroes.<br />
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Unfortunately, if we are to believe notorious match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal's memoirs <i>Kelong Kings</i>, and the recent arrests of 5 Nepali players on the grounds of match-fixing by Nepal Police and subsequent lifetime bans by the AFC would suggest that there is no reason to dismiss his accounts, the heroes the laborers went to see were actually villains.<br />
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Perumal, in great detail, claims in his book that he had paid the Nepal team to lose the match against Sierra Leone U-20 team. Despite facing a youth team of a very weak African footballing nation and being a man up for the majority of the game, due to a Sierra Leone player receiving a red card, Nepal gave-up two late goals, which Perumal says were deliberately conceded, and lost the match 1-3.<br />
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The match-fixing Nepali players got paid. The loyal Nepali fans were defrauded. The time, hard earned money, and commitment of the laborers all wasted on what was essentially a bogus match. <br />
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The laborers were just one group of loyal Nepali fans that were cheated by the match-fixers. Also hoodwinked were the professionals in America who wake-up in the early hours of the morning to watch the Nepal national team play on a shitty Internet stream, the thousands of students in Delhi and Dhaka that skip classes and go to the stadium with their faces painted red, white and blue, the freelance journalists that fly to the corners of Asia to provide live commentary of Nepal matches to fans across the globe, and of course the die-hards that wait on line for hours and pay thousands to get into Dasharath Rangashala.<br />
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Some have expressed their sympathies towards the match-fixing players arguing among other things that they were neglected by ANFA, needed to take care of their families, and are only a product of a very corrupt society where politicians get away with murder, literally and figuratively. While that might be true, being poor does not give anyone the right to rob a bank. My own sympathies - they go out to the millions of passionate Nepali football fans around the world who've been duped for years.</div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-22772278445665150252015-09-27T15:33:00.001+08:002015-09-27T16:02:19.361+08:00Youth football gaining momentum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US">I offer my apologies in advance to anyone expecting this blog post to offer jubilation over the success of Nepal’s Under 19 and Under 16 in the SAFF U19 Championship and AFC U16 Championship qualifiers. If you are looking for those types of pieces I would recommend going over to the <a href="http://www.the-anfa.com/" target="_blank">official ANFA website</a> or <a href="http://goalnepal.com/" target="_blank">GoalNepal</a> to get your fill. A short commentary on Nepal’s youth national teams’ achievements can be found at the bottom of this article.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There is another element of youth football that I would rather focus on and that Nepali football fans should get excited about. It is the emergence of youth football schools and academies across Nepal. In fairness, it is perhaps happening at a pace slower than the ideal, but for a country that was able to wait seven years for a constitution and used to long queues at government offices to petrol pumps, a bit of patience for sports development should be manageable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lalitpur Sports Training Center (Pic: LSTC Facebook Page)</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">Nepal had a <a href="http://www.rangashala.com/2013/02/futsal-revolutionizing-nepali-football.html" target="_blank">futsal revolution</a> and it may well be that it is on the verge of a youth football insurgency. A combination of factors including the proliferation of futsal halls, a growing urban middle class looking for activities for their children and the glamour of football brought on by the Premier League, Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have given rise to youth football training centers across Kathmandu Valley and the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">While Sahara Club, SWSC, MYA and Futsal Arena in Thamel, amongst a few others, were the pioneers on this front, at a recently held youth football workshop that I conducted, a new breed of football schools/academies were in attendance.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">They included the hosts of the event, Lalitpur Sports Training Center, which is currently conducting weekend sessions for kids 8 to 14 at the Pulchowk Engineering Campus and hopes to take football training to every corner of Lalitpur district.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There was a group of soccer moms that have started the Kathmandu Kickers training program in Mandikhatar, initially for their own kids, but since open to everyone that meets several criteria including active involvement in the program by parents of the trainees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathmandu Kickers organizers (Pic: KK Facebook Page)</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">A representative from RC32 Football Academy, a program initiated by national team player Rohit Chand and his brother Rabindra for kids in the Mid-Western city of Surkhet – hardly known for its football prowess, was also there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The diversity of these training programs, from their geography to proprietors, is a reason for optimism. Youth football programs, once limited to the ANFA Academy, are now much more accessible and also lure talented professionals and volunteers to Nepali football.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">With the dearth of structured youth football in the country, producing tangible results for soccer schools/academies is not so difficult. For example, a recent Under-12 national team squad that travelled to Korea Republic featured two players from Oshonik Club of Nepalgunj, a team that only conducts training on weekends. Presuming ANFA selectors are fair in their recruitment, we should easily see players from more of these types of training programs on the youth national team rolls in the near future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Nepal’s youth national team success<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, I cannot get excited about the results produced by Nepal’s youth national teams. We’ve been here before on numerous occasions in the past – Nepal’s juniors apparently producing great results only to later be fined by the AFC for fielding overage players. Until Nepal’s youth national teams are devoid players that have played league football for multiple years before being selected to the junior squads and youth success translates into the senior team winning matches, it is difficult to take Nepal’s youth level results seriously.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">My opinion is shared by quite a few Nepali football insiders, but in a country that lacks many legitimate heroes and is desperate for positive news, most of these same people, as would transpire amongst the Roman masses when the Gladiator Games were being held at the Colosseum, seem to get swept up in the euphoria of the moment. In private they voice their concerns about the legitimacy of the youth teams’ results, though publicly they celebrate the success on Facebook and other outlets. It makes straight shooters like myself come across as a negative minority. So be it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-90543095772554563282015-07-08T04:46:00.000+08:002015-07-08T04:47:38.249+08:00An idea to promote local football<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ANFA U12 trials</td></tr>
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I saw this photo of the kids selected from the ANFA U12
trials and was thinking - why not make a rule that the players that come for the
selection have to either wear a Nepal national team or Nepali club jersey.
Allow clubs to sell their jerseys right outside the gates of the training field
to generate additional income. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At Machhindra FC we made it mandatory for all players coming to our open
trials to purchase a club jersey as a part of the registration fee. We grossed Rs.
50,000 in revenue from the scheme. MFC ran-out of jerseys during the event and
in the end we let a few players join the selection for free and play without a
White Lions kit. Surprisingly, those players who were admitted for free and without a jersey were furious. They actually wanted a shirt and were eager to pay the registration fee to get one!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machhindra FC trials</td></tr>
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-51373955460325196122014-11-26T18:29:00.004+08:002015-07-08T04:08:41.831+08:00Sports in South Asia needs to raise its game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(An <a href="http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=87364" target="_blank">edited version of this article</a> originally appeared in Republica)<br />
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A short while ago I was asked to write a tribute for a silver medal winning South Asian sportsman for a local organization about to honor him. When doing research for the homage, I stumbled upon a rather peculiar fact that most media members must have missed-out on or chose to ignore. It turns out there were only two people competing in the competition. The silver medal was assured!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhvVMf15Ow7TMqgrAz6XD9UjlRgpbY4qlDlGcouLaIxiZMFckY9l8MPeiNr_EU_6W71vVBGdtr0NPIpvI5Cw-wPudKf6z7cLIjhA9GIHtEjxuLFnr7-jo5T4-OtkUzxmgznoVu2t18Zeg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-08+at+4.05.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhvVMf15Ow7TMqgrAz6XD9UjlRgpbY4qlDlGcouLaIxiZMFckY9l8MPeiNr_EU_6W71vVBGdtr0NPIpvI5Cw-wPudKf6z7cLIjhA9GIHtEjxuLFnr7-jo5T4-OtkUzxmgznoVu2t18Zeg/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-08+at+4.05.01+AM.png" width="320" /></a>Unfortunately, these types of sporting anomalies or lucky breaks, however you want to look at it, are what South Asian sports fans most times must hope for to see their fellow countrymen find a place on the medal podium of major international tournaments.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">South Asia’s track record in high level sports is abysmal. A South Asian team has never made the FIFA World Cup and in the past half-century has not come anywhere close to qualifying. After capturing 11 gold medals over the span of 13 Summer Olympic Games, South Asian field hockey sides have failed to even medal for the last 22 years. With 1.7 billion inhabitants, a quarter of the world’s population, Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra is the sole person from the region that can claim an Olympic gold medal in the past 3 decades. In that period, India has won a paltry 3 silver and 8 bronze medals, Sri Lanka 1 silver, Pakistan and Afghanistan 2 bronze each, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal have not won a single medal at the Olympics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Based on per capita, the regions results at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are nothing to boast about either. Thank god for cricket! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">How might South Asia break-free from its sporting futility? Many stakeholders have an important role to play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">At the most basic level parents can encourage their children to participate in sports. While attitudes are starting to shift, sports are unfortunately still seen as a distraction to academics for most South Asian parents, when in fact sports have so many benefits for youngsters such as being a good diversion for kids, promoting a healthy life style and fostering social engagement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Sports bodies need to invest in professional staff that are capable of developing marketable properties that can generate revenue and help fund grassroots initiatives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The private sector can make a strong contribution through corporate sponsorship and corporate philanthropy of sports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Indian franchise leagues including the Indian Premier League, Indian Super League and Pro Kabbadi League as well as initiatives such as the JSW Sports Excellence Program and Mittal Champions Trust are good examples of the above points.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As the 18<sup>th</sup> SAARC summit gets underway here in Kathmandu, it is only fitting to also encourage South Asian governments to support sports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">For a region that has severe challenges when it comes to health, education and infrastructure, making a case for governments and NGOs to pay attention sports can be quite awkward. What good is sporting success if citizens face the threat of hunger and disease?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Certainly, no reasonable person can argue that sports development should be prioritized ahead of basic health and education. Sports, however, can parallely play a critical role in national and regional development. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As we have seen with cricket in this part of the world, sports has a unique capacity to identify, mobilize, and energize a nation. In a region often divided by religion, ethnic tensions and socio-economic factors, sports is one instrument that can unite the masses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Sports also provides role-models that can inspire youth and guide them on a path of discipline and good health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Done correctly, building sports facilities can regenerate neighborhoods and provide an economic boost to communities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Lest we forget, there is also the power of sports diplomacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The greatest gift sports provides perhaps is the ideal of sportsmanship, something that all of us in South Asia – politicians and citizens, could always use a little bit more of.</span></div>
Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600229237949806806.post-55790080004374417142014-10-12T12:13:00.000+08:002014-11-09T18:15:17.145+08:00Sports Contribution Award<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Immensely honored to receive the Sports Contribution Award from my fellow NRNs. My journey in Nepali sports has been a wonderful adventure, in large part due to the guidance and support of so many friends and well-wishers who are working tirelessly on the ground to help develop sports in Nepal. A massive thank you to them and congratulations to the other honorees.<br />
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Biplav Gautamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652469873629706135noreply@blogger.com