Taking revenge for last year’s defeat, Salhesh Youth Club, Siraha, lifted the title of the 3rd Taplejung Gold Cup Football Tournament by defeating Church Boys Club, Lalitpur, 2–0 on Saturday.
The breakthrough came in the 79th minute when Salhesh’s Sunil Khadka scored with a powerful strike from outside the penalty box. In the 90th minute, Yusuf Mallik sealed the victory with a header, netting his fifth goal of the tournament.
The match also saw heated moments as Salhesh’s Phaguram Tharu and Church Boys’ Chandan Das were both sent off with red cards in the 81st minute by referee Shyam Danuwar, who showed a total of seven yellow cards during the final.
With the win, Salhesh bagged a cash prize of Rs 702,082, while runners-up Church Boys had to settle for Rs 350,282. The awards and trophies were presented by Member of Parliament and former minister Yogesh Bhattarai, along with Koshi Province’s Minister for Industry, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, Khagen Singh Hangam.
Last year, Salhesh had suffered a 1–0 defeat against Morang. They were the only team invited back this year, while the organizers, Lakhe Jatra Management Committee, brought in seven new teams.
Salhesh competed this year with the inclusion of four foreign players and remarkably did not concede a single goal throughout the tournament. The Gold Cup, held on the occasion of Lakhe Jatra, started on Shrawan 24 (Janai Purnima and Rakshabandhan) with the participation of eight teams, including one from India.
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