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Historic Moment for BCAA.... |
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In an effort to facilitate and promote games, sports,
arts, entertainment, and recreational activities for community youth,
the BCAA sponsored the 2013 Interstate Knockout Soccer Tournament at
Jennings Community Learning Center on Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and
16 in Akron, Ohio. The BCAA also hoped to rekindle friendships developed in the 18+ years these families spend in refugee camps in Nepal after they were forced out of Bhutan in an ethnic cleansing. BCAA officers also looked at this event as an opportunity to build new relationships with Akron residents. Participating teams drove from Akron OH (4 teams), Baltimore MD, Buffalo NY, Burlington VT, Cincinnati OH (2 teams), Cleveland OH, Columbus OH, Dallas TX, Erie PA, Grand Rapids MI (team disqualified for inappropriate conduct), Hampton VA, Harrisburg PA, Illinois, Kentucky (2 teams), Lansing MI, Lancaster PA, Charlotte NC, Philadelphia PA, Pittsburg PA, Richmond VA, and Rochester NY. That was a lot of driving for a lot of fun and commaradary. An impressive roster of participating teams! Tournament winners were from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Charlotte, North Carolina. |
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 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Winner! (Picture digitally enhanced to compensate for almost total darkness) |
 Charlotte, North Carolina - Winner! (Picture digitally enhanced to compensate for almost total darkness) |
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 John Valle, Director of Neighborhood Assistance for the City of Akron |
John Valle (left), Director of Neighborhood Assistance for the City of Akron, addressed the players, coaches, and spectators at the Opening Ceremony. He said that he was pleased to see so many new Asian residents in Akron, and that he wanted each and every one to feel at home in Akron. His office is particuularly interested in making the quality of life better for all of the refugee communities in North Hill. He concluded his remarks by saying that he hopes this year's tournament will become an annual event and get bigger and better every year. In the picture at the right, Mr. Valle is being interviewed by Nilam Ghimirey. |
 John Valle being interviewed by Nilam Ghimirey |
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| The Tournament in Photos | ||||||||||
 Bishnu Subba and Diane Johnson |
 Players lining up to start game |
 Nilam Ghimirey and Ram Dhakal |
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Diane Johnson said that events like this draw refugees together in a fun and entertaining venue. The events provides an opportunity for fellowship, and time to be together.
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 Dancers at Halftime |
 Dignitary kickoff |
 Billie learned too late to enter his team (New York) |
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 Michael Kane (left), Dil Rimal |
Michael Kane served as tournament adviser. He said that this tournament is important for the arrival of the Bhutanese in the City of Akron because soccer is an important part of their culture. Events like this will help them identify Akron as their home. It will make them feel welcome. It helps them celebrate their culture and the sport that they love. I also believe this tournament will help Akron residents to know refugees better as a collective group. It shows the Akron community that the Bhutanese refugees behave in a respectful manner and can organize and conduct a tournament on their own. I helped with this tournament because I live in North Hill, and recognize the large number of Asian refugees that are becoming part of the community that I live in. It is important to me that these groups are successful, because if they are successful the community will also be successful. Also, as the coach at North High School, I am pleased to see the youth soccer program to make our players better and when they get to North, they will be more talented players.
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Prakash Biswa, Prem Chowan, Sudan Rai, and San Man Subba served as
Master of Ceremonies and announcers throughout the tournament.
They introduced teams, half-time dancers, and made announcements,
keeping everyone's interest high. |
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 Spectators on bleechers provided by City of Akron from Lock 3 |
 Bishnu Subba, President, BCAA Amber Subba, Past President BAAA Tuk Rai, Treasurer Naresh Subba Loati, Senior Advisor |
 Lots of action on the field |
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Naresh Subba (on right in center picture above), is an elder from the community who has been in the US for eleven years. He said that "it is very important in many ways to encourage youth in Akron to develop relationships between Bhutanese and other local communities." Besides, "this is fun! This is a time to have a good time; we should be doing more of these kinds of activities. I'm from Streetsboro, but I feel more attached to Akron. Time goes fast, and I've never had a chance to go back to Nepal. I'm a member of the community. It is important for me to show support. Interacting is fun."
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 Lots of action |
 Amber Sugga (left), Michael Kane, Bishnu Subba, Dil Rimal (right) |
 Action on field |
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| Dr. Madhav Batta, (seated right) a professor at Kent State University, is a Nepali native who came to this country many years ago on a student visa. He said that events like this help people to reconnect with their friends and families, and gives them a sense of community. It is good to engage youth in sports, for physical health as well as mental health. |
 Sudan Rai (standing) Madhav Bhatta (seated) |
Dr. Bhatta said that this tournament is a great event, and that he is glad that BCAA is putting it together. "I came because I want to support the community. Although I am Nepalese, I am not of Bhutanese origin, events like this give me a sense of belonging to this community because I share the same language, culture, and history." |
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 Goal shot |
 Ms Nugyen, Nilam Ghimirey |
 The Jennings CLC playing field |
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Ms Nugyen (above, left in center picture) is a teacher at North High school who came to support her students because many of her students participate in the Peace Zone Sporting Club teams. This is a way to get out and be involved in social events, and it is an opportunity for families to see how well their kids play. Ms Win and Nilam Ghimirey are standing beside on of the Keep Akron Beautiful containers that were donated for the event.
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 Trophies and Certificates |
Gopal Lepcha from Akron, Ohio, came to support all the teams and have fun. As a member of BCAA, he helped organize the tournament to improve youths' game skills, meet people, and make relationships better between the communities. |
 Kailash Ghimirey and Champha Subba took many of the pictures on this page |
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 The Jennings parking lot was full |
Ganesh Biswa has lived in Riverdale, Maryland for two years. He said that "This event is important to have communication between states and meet new people. I came to watch the games." He said that their team was sad because they learned about the tournament too late to sign up. |
 Photographers for the Bhutan Times Newsletter and the Bhutanese News Service (BNS) |
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| Ganesh Mongar, from Dallas, Texas,l came to support the Druk team. | Purna Poudel, also from Dallas, Texas, has been in the US for 5 years. He came to play in the game and have fun. | Madhav Khatiwada from Michigan came to this friendly gathering to watch the match, support his team from Michigan, and to meet his friends. | ||||||||
 One of the four Peace Zone Sporting Club teams. |
 Fans watched from all around the field. |
 Players worked hard at moving the ball. |
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Ram Dajal was in Atlanta, Georgia for 4 years and moved to Akron, where he's been for 8 months. He came to watch the only game he knows, to meet friends, and to meet new Nepali Bhutanese people.
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| Tournament Supporters | ||||||||||
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President Bishnu Subba and the Organizing Committees thank all those who helped make the tournament possible. These individuals and offices include the City of Akron, Akron Public Schools, Michael Kane, the Family Grocery, Bista Brothers Grocery Store, Namaste Grocery Store, BCAA officers, tournament committees, student volunteers, and those many others who provided help and assistance. See the following list of acknowledgements |
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Bishnu Subba, President of BCAA (overall planner and executive producer)
Naresh Laoti, Dil Rimal, Terry Kuhn (overall tournament advisers and logistical support)
Prakash /Biswa, Prem Chowan, Sudan Rai, San Man Subba (masters of ceremony)
Krishna Suba, Sagina Rai, Pabitra Nepal, Bishnu Maya Basnet, Dhan Maya Tamang, Mongali Subba (guest reception committee)
John Valle, Director of Neighborhood Assistance, City of Akron
Michael Kane (Tournament Adviser)
Captain Sylvia Trundle, Chief James Nice, and the Akron City Police for their continued support of our community
Debra Foulk, Executive Director of Business Affairs for the Akron Public Schools
Michael Critchfield, Coordinator of Facility and Custodial Services for the Akron Public Schools
Todd Wiley, Grounds Services Foreman, Akron Public Schools
Alpha Phi Alpha Youth Soccer Club and Coach Mike Vinson
Michael Byun and ASIA Inc.
Elaine Woloshyn, Diane Johnson, and the International Institute of Akron
Hindu Sewa Samitee
Dawa Tamang, Bharat Bista (ball incharges)
Kane Sign Company
Naresh, Srijang, and Gopal Subba and the Family Grocery
Referees: Dil Kumar Ghalley (Main Umpire), Goman Magar (Assistant Umpire), Janga Bir Lepcha (Assistant Umpire), Amrit Regmi (Main Umpire)
Peace Zone Sporting Club, leaders and participating students
Rich Desrosiers and Michael Beaven, Akron-Beacon Journal reporters
Dispute Committee: D. B. Lungeli, Man Bahadur Rana, Bhim Subba, Rahar Singh Rai, Gopal Lepcha, Krishna Subba, Suresh Rai, Prakash Biswa, Tuk Rai, Amber Subba, Purushottam D hungana, Lok Subba, Sha Bahadur Neopaney, Billa Angdembay, Rudra Rimal, Arjun Bista, Sagar Timsina, Bharat Bista.
Tournament Officials: D. B. Lungeli, Mon Bahadur Rana, Devi Adhikari, Amrit Regmi, Dil Kumar Ghalley, Janga Lepcha, Bir Bahadur Yonjon, Rahar Singh Rai
Visiting teams, players, and coaches from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cincinnati, Ohio Grand Rapids, MIchigan Kentucky North Carolina Burlington, Vermont Columbus, Ohio Lansing, Michigan Baltimore, Maryland Richmond, Virginia Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Erie, Pennsylvania Rochester, New York Lancaster, Pennsylvania Cleveland, Ohio Akron, Ohio (4 teams) Buffalo, New York Rochester, New York Illinois Hampton, Virginia
Tournament Planning Team: Sagar Timsina, Dil Rimal, Shabdr Neopaney, Bhakta Subba
Contact Persons: Bishnu Subba, Rudra Rimal, and Amber Subba
Registration and Fee Submissions: Billa Angdembay, Arjun Bista, and Tuk Rai
General Information Committee: Sha Bdr Neopaneey, Sagar Timsina, Arjun Bista, and Bhim Chuwan
Paula Davis, Keep Akron Beautiful Bista Brothers Grocery Store Namaste Grocery Store
Thanks to all of these individuals and organizations for their support of this event!
Kailash Ghimirey and Champha Subba, photography.
Nilam Ghimirey, interviewer and contributing author.
Terry Kuhn, editor.
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