Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kathmandu: Football fever has gripped the country with local newspapers providing significant coverage of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 with the national broadsheets focussing on the importance of the tournament for the country as well as previewing the hosts opening match against Palestine.
The nation's leading daily Kantipur has covered the front page news on the preview of AFC Challenge Cup with headline saying 'The biggest ever sporting action in Nepal from Today'. Kantipur has also dedicated three pages to the competition which features all eight-team profile, security arrangement at the Dashrath Stadium and individual profiles of the Nepal squad.
Kantipur's Pratima Baskota and English daily Republica's Shreejana Shrestha have written special features on security arrangements highlighting that 1500 police personal have been deployed for the Challenge Cup. Reporter Jagdishwor Pandey has a column on the back page of Kantipur on the chances of DPR Korea winning the Championship.
Likewise, Republica also listed down the all the eight-team coaches' comments during Wednesday's press conference.
Kantipur's English publication The Kathmandu Post, who claims being Nepal's largest selling English daily, has put the banner of the newly renovated Dashrath Stadium and a picture of India captain Sunil Chettri training at ANFA Complex as well as publishing a photo of Nepali players celebrating Holi (a festival of colour).
Vernacular daily Nagarik also is the other newspaper covering the Holi pictures of Nepal's team and it has also put a front page sideline on FIFA President Sepp Blatter coming to Nepal for the opening ceremony, which has also been covered by another local daily Nepal Samacharpatra.