- A former student who now covers sports said ABS-CBN will air the Philippines-Nepal match live tomorrow, from the ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) complex in the Kathmandu neighboring city of Patan.
- This afternoon we met with some old timers from the Filipino Community of Nepal and the Nepali-Filipino Association: Rose Budhatokhi, Salve Shakya, Marivic Gurung.
- They said they didn't know about the match until last week when I contacted Ate Rose out of the blue. A complete stranger then, I hope I didn't startle her. (Well, not that totally, as I learned that she was a Facebook and real-life friend of another faculty colleague, who himself is now based in the Middle East. Another testament to the the six degrees of separation theory, less if you're talking about Filipinos.)
- This afternoon, over coffee, momo (a Nepalese dumpling) and some sweets at the Opium restaurant on Durbar Marg, we learned that tickets must have sold out already. The AND A venue is a training facility not really designed for large crowds. The main stadium, Dasarath Rangasala, was damaged during the 2015 earthquake and was not yet ready to accommodate fans, they said.
- Nevertheless they are in touch with the team and will show up tomorrow for the 2 pm match (4:15 pm, Philippine time).
- Salve Shakya, a 20-year-something Nepal resident and president of the NFA, said the team would host a meet and greet at their hotel after the match, unless the Philippines consul decided to take over.
- The team is staying at a hotel 5 km away from where we're lodging, and has an extra star rating. But, said Salve, some players had asked for adobo. They have been away five days.
- Another long-time resident, Marivic Gurung, said that despite having two groups, the FCN and NFA got along fine. She shrugged when I asked if she was related to Nepal football star Anil Gurung.
From Kathmandu
No comments:
Post a Comment