24th Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup Kicks Off with Glorious Opening Ceremony

Pokhara's mayor Dhanraj Acharya inaugurates the event, honoring Sanish Shrestha as Best National Football Player, with 12 teams competing for NPR 12 lakh prize
February 4, 2025
24th Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup

The 24th Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup has begun in Pokhara. The tournament is organized by Sahara Club Pokhara, and its opening was done by Pokhara’s mayor, Dhanraj Acharya.

He mentioned that Pokhara is not only the tourism capital but also a city for sports. Since Aaha Rara is also known as Pokhara’s identity, he shared that the Pokhara Metropolitan City has provided patronage to the event. He also mentioned that as Pokhara has sister-city relations with 14 cities from different countries, starting next year, guests will be invited from these cities as well.

On the opening day, Sanish Shrestha was honored with the Best National Football Player award for this year. The award included a cash prize of NPR 50,555 and a certificate. The amount was donated by honorary member of the club, Khem Bahadur Gurung. Sanish Shrestha, from Bhanu Municipality in Tanahu, has been playing football for the past seven years. The club has been awarding a national-level football player annually for their excellent contribution to Nepali football. Previous recipients include Bharat Khawas, Kiran Chemjong, Sujal Shrestha, Abhishek Rizal, Anjan Bisht, Anant Tamang, and Ayush Ghalaan.

The Brigade of Gurkha Band presented a performance at the stadium. The tournament will run from January 22 to February 3 at the Pokhara stadium, with 12 teams participating. The winner will receive NPR 12 lakh, according to the club president, Keshav Raj Baral.

To mark the football competition, around 50 representatives from Sahara Club UK and Tamudhi UK have already arrived in Pokhara, with more expected to come, as shared by Sahara UK President Krishna Bahadur Gurung.

This is the longest-running football competition in Nepal. The club uses the savings from the event to fund a football academy, which is home to 30 orphaned children. The first match of the tournament was between Sahara Club and Nepal Police Club.

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