Hariram Gurung aka Suraj is the chairman of Sahara Club Pokhara (SCP) which is going to organize the 20th edition of Aaha Rara Gold Cup Football Tournament very soon. Apart from sports, the club has been contributing to the sector of social welfare too. According to Gurung, the club is now busy in the preparation of the above-mentioned tournament which is mainly sponsored by the Himshree Food Pvt. Ltd. In this context, here is presented a short interview with Gurung:
What is doing SCP these days?
We have begun the preparation of Aaha Rara Gold Cup Tournament. The tournament is going to happen from January 20 to 29 at Pokhara Stadium. We have already formed various sub-committees coordinated by Keshav Raj Baral, the senior vice chairman of SCP. The regular activities of the Surya Bahadur KC Memorial Sahara Football Academy are also undergoing.
The Covid- 19 pandemic is still not over; so, how many audiences have the club expected in the tournament of this season?
The effect of pandemic has decreased in recent months in Nepal. People have started to visit from place to place. The meeting and conferences also have been organized. The educational tours also are happening. So, the pandemic won’t affect our tournament significantly. Hence, we have expected thousands of audiences in the tournament.
SCP has branches in the UK, Hong Kong, and Australia; how is cooperation going with them?
We are closely working with these wings. They support us not only in the tournament but also in other social works. All these three committees support us financially when it comes the matter of social activities and sports activities. Some of them provide us medals and trophies for the tournament.
SCP also runs a football academy in Dobilla of Pokhara, tell us something about it.
We have run this academy since 2070 BS and 24 helpless children from 14 districts are accommodated here. We bear all of their expenses like lodging, fooding, healthcare, medication and education. The academy sustains from the annual savings of our tournament. Recently, Surya Bahadur KC family clinched a MoU with SCP to support 1.5 million annually for a decade. Following this support, the name of the academy has been converted into a Surya Bahadur KC Memorial Sahara Football Academy.
Could you mention some social contributions done by the SCP?
Of course; the club has established a public toilet with smart facilities near Pokhara Bus Park. We have also supported some schools financially and physically.
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