Kudos to Mr Hari Khadka for his acheivement. Certainly, Nepal has soccer future in comming days.
FRom KTOnline.
KATHMANDU, March 9 - Some 300 Mechi College students hovered around Hari Khadka when he brought home a brand new bicycle donated by Portas School of Germany in 1993. Fourteen years on, some 1300 fans surrounded him on the synthetic track while the capacity crowd at Dashrath Stadium stood up on the stands in applause when he went on a test ride in a brand new Toyota Yaris car awarded him after being adjudged the player-of-
the-league.
Hari is probably the only player who has been awarded a cycle, motorbike and a car for excellence in the field. His ascent from a cycle-riding layman to a noted celebrity reached pinnacle when the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) recognized his long contribution to the national team and his performance in inspiring MPC to the 2006-2007 National League title by awarding him a car.
Kudos for ANFA, VOITH Organization - the official dealer for Toyota Motors in Nepal - and the Ministry for Education and Sports for waiving the tax and arranging the award. But coming from a middle class family can the footballer really afford the luxury of a car?
Hari is a sub-inspector with the Nepal Police and has been teaching football at Xavier's International. That apart, he has nothing else to fall back on as his lower middle class parents from Chandragadi, Jhapa do not have much to leave him by way of inheritance.
Besides, for almost a decade he has not been able to find a house or piece of land in Kathmandu, where he wants to settle down.
"I had enough money to buy a piece of land when I was playing abroad during my prime. But I did not have any prudent advisor," the 31-year old says. "Only after marriage, I realized my responsibility. Now a house on a piece of land is my necessity and I am looking forward to getting it."
Struggling to find permanent residency in Kathmandu, the car has added more burden to his practical life. First thing, he does not have parking space at his rented apartment. Secondly, the insurance, tax and maintenance expenses are very high for a hi-fi Japanese car.
"No doubt there are problems but they make you stronger and firm," he says thanking his fans as well as the jury that picked his name for the award. "It's a top honor for a Nepali athlete. So, I am not going to sell this car until and unless I find it really hard to keep."
"Financially I know it is not that easy to own a car but I will try to adjust my income so that I can enjoy the luxury," he adds. "I never dreamt of owning even a bike when I started my career as a footballer but now I have everything from football," he says, "Even my girlfriend (now my wife) accepted to exchange vows with me only because I was a football star," he says jokingly.
"I have made some money from football and will definitely invest it in some money-spinning business," he declares.
Revealing a secret, Hari said he got behind the wheel for the first time when ANFA announced to award a car to the best player a year ago. "When it was announced, I knew that sooner rather than later I would win this award," he divulges.
