Karki’s Clinical Hat-trick Propels APF Into Semifinals
BIRTAMOD – Armed Police Force (APF) Football Club stormed into the semifinals of the ongoing gold cup in Birtamod, delivering a masterclass in clinical finishing to dismantle Bhutan’s Royal Thimphu College (RTC) 4–1. The star of the show was undoubtedly APF skipper Hari Karki, whose ruthless hat-trick left the Bhutanese side searching for answers in a largely one-sided affair. **Dominance from the Kick-off** APF wasted no time asserting their dominance, signalling their intent as early as the 3rd minute. While RTC goalkeeper Tashi Norbu managed to parry an initial goal-bound effort from Dipesh Dhimal, the reprieve was short-lived. In the 6th minute, Pradip Lama broke the deadlock with a moment of pure individual brilliance. Spotting the keeper slightly off his line, Lama unleashed a thunderous "long-ranger" from nearly 30 yards out that found the back of the net, setting the tone for the afternoon. **The Hari Karki Show** With the momentum firmly in their favour, the APF captain took centre stage. In the 18th minute, Karki doubled the lead, coolly converting a precise setup from Dipesh Dhimal inside the box. Just four minutes later, Karki struck again, pouncing on a rebound after Norbu failed to cleanly collect a powerful strike from Samiraj Thokar. Leading 3–0 within the first quarter of the match, APF effectively killed the contest before the halftime whistle. Karki eventually completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute—becoming the first player in the tournament to achieve the feat—by tapping home another rebound after being left unmarked in the penalty area.  **Bhutan’s Missed Opportunities** Despite being outplayed, Royal Thimphu College had fleeting moments of promise. In the 28th minute, Sonam Yase failed to capitalise on a golden opportunity right in front of the goal. Later, in the 78th minute, Jigme Sultrim’s curling free-kick rattled the crossbar, denying the Bhutanese side a goal from open play. RTC’s lone consolation came in the 79th minute via the penalty spot. After Kinzang Tenzing Sherpa was fouled inside the box by Dhimal, Sherpa stepped up to convert the spot-kick, briefly making it 3–1 before Karki’s final blow. **Match Summary & What’s Next** For his goal-scoring heroics, Hari Karki was named Player of the Match and walked away with a cash prize of NRs 25,000. The tournament organisers have set high stakes for this edition. The eventual champions will pocket NRs 1.5 million, while the runners-up will take home NRs 750,000. On an individual level, the "Player of the Tournament" is set to ride away on a brand-new Yamaha motorcycle. Fans are also being incentivised to fill the stands; Mahendraratna Stores is giving away a television daily to a lucky ticket holder, with a Yamaha scooter slated as the grand bumper prize for one lucky spectator following the final.
