May 29, Dhankuta – The 18th Shaheed Bhimanarayan Gold Cup football tournament underway in Dhankuta will feature its second semifinal match today, Friday. The match will be contested between Birtamod United Club from Jhapa and Belbari Football Club from Morang. The game is set to kick off at 4 PM in the afternoon at the lower Tundikhel ground in Dhankuta.
Birtamod United Club advanced to the semifinals by defeating Udayapur’s Gaighat Football Club with a 2–1 goal margin. Similarly, Belbari Football Club secured their place in the final four by overcoming Lalitpur’s Satdobato Youth Club 1–0. The winner of this encounter will face the host team, Shaheed Bhimanarayan Memorial Foundation, in the final. The final is scheduled for Saturday, following the first semifinal played yesterday.
The Shaheed Bhimanarayan Memorial Foundation, host of the tournament, reached the final by narrowly defeating Siraha’s Salhes Football Club 1–0 in the first semifinal on Thursday. The decisive goal came in the 9th minute, scored by the foreign player Amit Beshra, who gave the team an early lead. No further goals were recorded during the regulation 90 minutes, making Amit’s goal the match-winner.
Entry for spectators to this tournament is free of charge. The champion team will receive a cash prize of NPR 600,000 along with the trophy, medals, cup, and certificates, while the runner-up will be awarded NPR 300,000 and similar honors. Additionally, individual awards include NPR 6,000 for the Player of the Match in each game, as well as prizes for the tournament’s best player and outstanding category performers, according to organizers. Established in 1998 BS (1952 AD), the Gold Cup has been held regularly since 2006 BS (1949/50 AD).
The tournament commemorates Bhimanarayan Shrestha, who was executed by the then government in 1978 BS (1921 AD) after being accused of throwing a bomb at King Birendra in Biratnagar. In 2017 BS (1960 AD), the government posthumously declared Shrestha a martyr.
