Organizers Lock In Eight Teams for Third Chitwan Gold Cup
This month international club football is coming to Bharatpur. Eight teams will compete for a prize of 600,000 NPR at the Hanami 3rd Chitwan Gold Cup. The tournament will take place from the 27th of Bhadra to the 3rd of Ashoj at the Nepal Police Academy training centre. At a press conference held today, Bharatpur Football Club announced the match schedule and the prize structure. The event represents a significant point in the interest of local supporters. This year, clubs from Malaysia and Bhutan are playing in Chitwan for the first time; N Penang FC is coming from Malaysia and Paksham FC is arriving from Bhutan. The other six spots in the tournament are taken by domestic sides. The eight-team field is made up of APF Football Club, Satdobato Youth Club, Red Horse FC, Devdaha Boys, Apple Guru Suryapur Football Club and the host club, Bharatpur Football Club. In order to set up the route to the final, the organisers have split the competing teams into two groups. The tournament coordinator Dhurba Bhusal has confirmed that the opening day match will get under way at 3 PM. On Bhadra 27 the host team, Bharatpur Football Club, play Paksham FC. The next afternoon Suryapur FC will play against Satdobato Youth Club. On Bhadra 29 Devdaha Boys play Red Horse Ilam. On Bhadra 30 N Penang FC will put their squad to the test with a game against APF FC. The knockout stage progresses rapidly. The semi-finals will be held on Bhadra 31 and Ashoj 1. The two teams that remain will meet in the final on Ashoj 3.  The cash rewards show how serious this cup is, with the winning team receiving 600,000 NPR, which is a huge sum. The second-place prize of 300,000 NPR makes sure that both finalists walk away with substantial money. Individual excellence is also acknowledged by the organisers, who have set aside 20,000 NPR for the best overall player. Players who achieve top positions in particular positional categories will each receive 10,000 NPR. On each matchday there is a Player of the Match award, sponsored by Kelme Chitwan, which gives the top performer of the day a reward of 5,000 NPR. By including foreign clubs the standard of the game is raised and local fans are now able to see international competition right in their own area. Anyone who lives in or around Chitwan has a rare chance to see foreign athletes take on the top domestic clubs. All the preliminary and semi-final matches can be watched at the stadium for an entry fee of 100 NPR. The ticket price goes up to 200 NPR for the final match. The low ticket prices ensure that there will be big crowds and a lively atmosphere at all events during the tournament.
