Global Post Reporter; Feb. 2015
On February 21, 2015; Saturday at 7:15 pm, the founding board members of the Bhutanese American Sports Council (BASC) met together in Nashville, Tennessee USA and successfully elected their executive board officials with the President-ship of Santa Lama. According to the source, the founding board members’ conference ran for about four hours from 7:15 pm to 11 pm. The agendas of the conference were concentrated on the Council’s mission and objectives, events and activities, legal prospective, overall conceptual and practical developments, annual interstates soccer tournament specially 5th and 6th, development of official sites for media coverage, and adoption of professionalism in their practices.
As per the report, Sarman Mapchhan, the incumbent coordinator of the council briefed on the history of the council; concept, formation, and the first Interstate Soccer tournament hosted by Georgia Atlanta. He also talked about the vision, mission, and objective of the council. Uttam Gurung, one of the founding members and newly elected Vice President of the council briefed on the council’s past and present activities. He told attendees that since 2011 the council has started the scheme of organizing Inter- States Soccer Tournament annually and will continue the trends until the council exists.
The report states that the board meeting attendees approved the organization’s name ‘Bhutanese American Sports Council’ to remain as its official name. The attendees also approved the council’s annual soccer event as to be officially called as ‘Annual Bhutanese Inter-States Soccer Tournament’.
As per the decision of the council to nominate new board, the council got new executive board of five officers who will be responsible for council registration. The newly elected council’s officers are A. K. Rai from Texas as General Secretary, Devi C. Subedi from Ohio as Secretary, and Bhadra Rai from Texas as Treasurer including Vice President Uttam Gurung from California and President Santa Lama from Texas.
According to the report statements, these newly elected members of the council will work to finalize the council’s Bylaws, complete legal requirements, and call for new board’s election in the time period provided by the board meeting. The Council will elect its new board members through democratic election processes.
The report says the Council also gave responsibility to newly elected board members to design, develop and regulate the Council’s website to broadcast its activities and other generalized information. The source informed us that the council’s executive board will launch their website as soon as possible.
Suk man Subba, representing the host, briefed on the management and the budgeting of the 5th Inter State Soccer tournament. He reconfirmed the tournament dates as 19, 20 and 21st of June, 2015. As per the report, Subba assured that the cash prize for finalist this year would be 30% to 60% higher than last year. Another speaker Jitu Basnet provided information on tournament’s field and fixture-out procedure of the 5th interstate. As per Council’s report, Basnet told that tournament will be played in four different fields for first two days and the final match will be held on different field in different venue on Sunday.
In the conference, Kiran Thapa from Ohio brought the concept of participating in ANA tournament. The board has agreed and decided to make a public announcement of ANA concept during the 5th interstate eve. The board decided to form players selection committee for ANA tournament. According to the source, the board has also decided to select all players for 2016 session during the 5th interstate.
The BASC said, about 90 percent of the Council’s board members attended the meeting. The conference of Nashville TN seems to appear as cornerstone for Bhutanese American Sports to move forward establishing platform for youths’ empowerment, sportsmanship and creativity. Mr. Jeewan Nepal adjourned the meeting at 11:00 pm.
