Eight teenagers at Surya Bahadur KC Memorial Sahara Football Academy have been sent off. The club bade farewell to eight teenagers who finished their +2 level in a ceremony on Sunday.

Sandeep KC of Pokhara, Shishir Chhetri of Parbat, Kushal Buda Magar of Rukum Kol-2, Nischal Bhandari of Kristi-2, Kaski, Pramish Gurung of Chitwan, Kamal Somai Magar of Surkhet, Sandesh Gurung of Syanjha and Niraj BK of Syanjha were the ones who were provided a farewell after nine years in the academy.

The founding president of the club Basanta Thakali, honorary member Mahesh Gurung, president of the club Hariram Gurung (Suraj), outgoing president Keshab Thapa, former president Bikram Thakali and Birbhadra Acharya among others bade farewell to the players.

Although there are 28 children from 16 districts of the third batch in the academy, there are currently 15 children, said Ramji Prasad Adhikari, general secretary of Sahara Club. The Sahara Club was established in 2055 BS with the objective of serving society through mind, words and deeds.

Sahara Academy was started in 2058 BS with the commencement of the Caravan Gold Cup. Speaking on the occasion, Founder President Thakali spoke in the program suggesting that the academy has been continuously aiding the poor and vulnerable people and suggested the students of the academy help as much as they could.

Honorary member of the club Mahesh Gurung said that the teenagers brought up by the club should be able to play their role towards the club wherever they are. He said that they are ready to provide necessary assistance for further education.

While bidding farewell to the academy, Kamal Somai Magar of Birendranagar, Surkhet, got emotional and said that he would be interested in the academy wherever he was as the academy had given him the love of his parents in the important stage of his childhood.

He also thanked the club for teaching them to stand on its own two feet and claimed that the academy was a godsend. Magar also expressed his gratitude to the club officials and donors for not allowing them to miss their parents.

Senior Vice President Keshab Raj Baral, Vice President Chitra Bahadur Pun and others spoke at the program chaired by Club President Hariram Gurung (Suraj).