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For twelve long years, unavoidable circumstances have forced him to stay away from the game that he wholeheartedly loves. Although he has been living in the United States since 2001, his heart yearns only for Nepali football.
He is none other than Umesh Pradhan, a gifted midfielder during his heydays and a member of the ´Golden Generation´ of Nepali football.
“When one has to shoulder the responsibilities of the family then one´s personal desires become insignificant. I´ve already spent a lot of time struggling in foreign land. But I might return once my sons settle in the US,” Pradhan told Republica during his short visit to Nepal recently.
He was one of the key players when the Nepali football team won gold twice in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games -- in 1984 and 1993. Those are the only golds Nepal has won in football at the international level so far. Pradhan still recalls the achievement with great pride.
“Whatever fame I gained was all through football. I am still proud of it. And I am glad that my name is written somewhere in the history of Nepali football,” said the 46-year-old.
“Now there is everything (in Nepali football) except the results.”
Pradhan was one of the two playmakers who were the architects of Nepal´s success in the SAF Games, the other being Raju Kaji Shakya. The two also played together in three World Cup qualifying tournaments.
Pradhan made his debut for the senior national team a year after he was adjudged the best player in the Asia Youth Championship in 1983. He was just 17 then. A fresh SLC graduate from St Xavier´s School, the young lad from a middle class family of downtown Bhotahiti raised quite a few eyebrows with his skilful performance and was included in the national team for the SAF Games in 1984. About a decade later, he went on to win the prestigious Rupak Memorial Award in 1993. By then, he had already won two titles with the national team, a feat no other player has achieved since. He called time on his stellar career after the First SAFF Championship in 1997.
“Winning gold in international football is in itself a great achievement. But the gold we won in 1993 was much more special because we defeated India, a football powerhouse which has been dominating the game in the region,” said Pradhan, who arrived in Kathmandu two weeks ago to attend a relative´s wedding ceremony.
“That was probably the first time Nepal had defeated India,” he added.
At that time, Pradhan´s partner in the midfield was Mani Shah, another renowned footballer of that time. Even to this day, those who had seen the Shah-Pradhan duo play admire their partnership in the midfield.
“We knew each other quite well,” said Pradhan. “After playing together for many years, we had a good coordination.”
Pradhan considers Shah to be the all-time best footballer of Nepal. In Pradhan´s own words, Shah was a ´left-footed, fast and skilful player´.
Pradhan recalls that he had scored the first goal against India in the 1993 final but Nepal squandered the lead and was trailing 2-1 as time was running out. Shah then converted a freekick in the dying minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw. Nepal then went on to record a famous victory in the tie-breaker to clinch the title of the Sixth SAF Games.
Pradhan says his coach Dhan Bahadur Basnet played an important role in his success. Impressed with his skills, Basnet picked him directly into the national team when he was playing in the B Division in 1983.
“He selected me after watching me play just once,” said Thapa, who also attributes his success to coach Bhim Thapa.
“Both of them used to stress the importance of tactical and technical aspects of the game.”
After retiring from football, Pradhan began working as a coach. He was the coach of the first batch of young players that won the title of U-13 Subroto Mukherjee Cup in India. He received the UEFA B License in 1999 along with Shakya and was planning to open a football academy in Nepal, but fate had something else in store for him.
He was invited to the USA by a friend and has been living there ever since. Despite his longings for Nepali football, Pradhan says he decided to move on out of a sense of responsibility toward his family.
As far as the Nepali team is concerned, Pradhan says that the squad has the potential to become the champion of South Asia but the players have to take risks.
“There isn´t much difference in the basic training now compared to our time. It is just the players who have changed,” he said.
“Training, techniques and tactics are all the same. But for success, one must take risks in football,” he said.
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