First boys’ soccer team from Nepal to Norway Cup

19-7-2010

The fourteen year old boys, members of the Kirne NC Team 2010, will be the first boys’ team from Nepal to participate in the world’s largest soccer tournament Norway Cup which takes place in Oslo at the end of July.

The eleven boys, many whom are travelling outside their village for the first time, are invited by SN Power and our partners at the Kirne Hydroplant in Nepal, BBK and Statkraft, 

“It has always been important for us to give something back to the society. That’s why we are running schools, health clinics and are supporting infrastructure projects in the Kirne area. We also saw that football engage the youth, so we decided to give a local team the opportunity to visit Norway", says Elsbeth Tronstad at SN Power,  Svenn-Erik Rafoss at  BKK, and  Knut Fjerdingstad at  Statkraft in a common annunciation.

BKK, together with SN Power and a local power company owns Himal Power Limited (HPL), which operates the water plant to Kirne. The two Norwegian owners and Statkraft are covering the trip for the Nepalese football team.

Football and fun

The Nepalese team is composed of local boys from the small villages of Devitar and Kirn. The team was formed in early April and has since then had five organized training sessions a week. In the final run, they have received training assistance from a soccer player that played on the Nepalese national team. 

The boys arrive in Norway 31 July, the day before the tournament starts. In addition to the football games, the team has a varied program consisting of visits to Tusenfryd amusement park, Hunderfossen Family Park, Big Ben, the Royal Palace and a boat trip on the Oslo Fjord.

Positive development in Kirne

Nepal is a country with great political turmoil, which currently lives under a fragile truce between rival groups. In 1992, when the first survey of a power plant started, Kirne was a non-fertile and uninhabited area. Today, ten years after the completion of the plant, the place a vibrant village centre with telephone, TV, internet, schools, quality drinking water supply and electricity.

The power plant of 60 MW produces around ten percent of Nepal's total power generation. In recent years, HPL and the Norwegian government has invested more than 52 million in local development beyond what is stated in the licensing requirements.

Press Contacts;

BKK: Svenn-Erik Rafoss, mobile 912 47 429

Statkraft: Knut Fjerdingstad, mobile 901 86 310

SN Power: Elsbeth Tronstad, mobile 905 82 383