Young Guns

“The other teams came out with matching equipment bags and the best shoes. They may have had the money, but we had the talent.”

by EMMA SCIANTARELLI

FROM ISSUE # 159 (March 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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PHOTO COURTESY: NEPALSPORTSPHOTO.COM

There's nothing better than winning a championship on your own turf, and Nepal's Under 17 Men's cricket team knows exactly how good it feels. From 4-12 February, the U17s took on teams from throughout the world and not only held their own, but won the gold.

The international tournament, known as the Elite Cup, was held in Kirtipur in the Valley. Organised by the Asian Cricket Counsel (ACC), the event drew teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, Qatar, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates. A team's economic edge often translates into better performance just because, like in many things, money opens opportunities.

In cricket, having more money may mean drawing in the best coaches, having the best practice fields and access to the latest equipment. Yet, despite this obvious financial advantage the teams from overseas had against Nepal, it didn't quite seem to matter. "The other teams came out with matching equipment bags and the best shoes and everything," captain Preethu Baskota explained, "they may have had the money, but we had the talent."

Leading up to the big tournament, Coach Roy Luke Dias fostered and developed that raw talent through a rigorous 40-day training camp. The boys slept, ate, and practised together to obtain the discipline and team camaraderie that it takes to be champions. The two primary focuses of the camp were enhancing the overall physical fitness of the boys as well as perfecting fielding techniques.

Before taking on the international teams, the U17 team had two practice matches against Nepal's U19 team and they won them both. Coming into the tournament with the confidence of beating an older team, the U17 team was ready to take on any opponent. "We had practiced hard, so we were already quite confident," Baskota says, "I just encouraged my team-mates to play their natural game and as long as they did that, I knew we would do well."

Following Baskota's advice, the team hit the ground in running. With a couple of victories under their belt, things seemed to be going well for the team, but it's never good to get too confident. "When we played against Hong Kong, we started to lose our way," Baskota confesses, "we were not patient like we should have been and ten of us were out for 49." Fortunately for the boys, they were able to regain their patience and focus enough to still get the win.

Along the road to victory, the U17 team was never without their fans. In the early games, a minimum of 1,000 fans filled the stands. The team snagged their final victory in the championship match in front of an audience of more than 10,000. Representing their country and taking the championship here at home was a moment none of the players will forget.

What's on the agenda for the young cricket players now that they've become champions?  Many have resumed their studies and some plan on trying out for the U19 team to play in the March tournament.

Whatever is on the agenda, cricket will always be a part of their lives and the memory of winning the continental tournament in front of their very own fans will probably go down as one of the best times of their youthful days.