By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Veteran footballer Bal Gopal Maharjan has been appointed as the coach of Nepal’s women’s national football team. His appointment comes at a time when the national women’s football team of Nepal is gearing up for the Asian Cup.
Prior to this, Maharjan was serving as a football coach of the National Sports Council on contract basis. Upon establishing himself as a successful coach, the sports governing body as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports decided to appoint him as the coach of the national women’s football team.
The women’s team will now play the Asian Games under his guidance.
“This is the first time in 10 years of my coaching career that I have been handed the responsibility to look after the women’s national team,” said Maharjan, adding, “I’m ready to face the challenge.”
Maharjan said that the players will undergo training on the track for three days a week considering the situation of the field during the rainy season. He further said that the players will get to train on the field for two to three days a week.
“We have been training in accordance to the weather conditions. We are training less on the field. We don’t want to spoil the field,” said Majharjan.
Maharjan added that Nepal has not yet won gold medal in SAFF championship.
“If this training gets continuity, it will serve as a preparation for the SAFF Championship to be held later in Pakistan.”
He said that foreign training and friendly matches will be helpful to give more exposure to the players. As far as the training kits are concerned, Maharjan said it is not ANFA’s programme but that of the NSC.
“It’s in the process. The kits will come soon. We have the kits that we need at present,” said Maharjan.
Maharjan, a former captain of the national football team, called time on his international career in 2005. He then decided to get involved in the coaching job. He helped the U-19 football team of Nepal lift the SAF U-19 title seven years ago. Nepal then lifted the Bangabondhu Gold Cup under his leadership. He then helped the U-23 team of Nepal win gold in the SAFF Championship held in Nepal in 2019. He also succeeded in helping the national team lift the Three Nations Cup two years ago.
