When the Nepal women’s football team arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, they did not expect to hear familiar cheers rising from the stands. Central Asia, after all, was not a place they imagined would host Nepali supporters.

But as the squad stepped onto the pitch at Bunyodkor (Milliy) Stadium to warm up ahead of their first match against Laos on June 29, they were greeted by an unexpected sight: a small group of Nepali fans waving the national flag and calling out encouragement.

Among them was Himgyap Tashi Lama, originally from Nepal’s remote Mugu district and now a longtime resident of Colorado, USA. Lama, who had travelled thousands of miles to be there, was accompanied by his brother—not by blood but by bond—Dargye Rigzin, and Nepali national footballer Dipa Shahi, who had come all the way from Nepal despite recovering from an injury.

“We were there to motivate our national team as they fought for a historic berth in the Asian Cup,” Lama told the Post.

The trio’s presence lifted the morale of the squad at a moment when they needed it most. Seeing Shahi—who had come to surprise her teammates even while sidelined by injury—was the cherry on top for the players. Shahi, in a brief talk with the Post in Tashkent, also shared happiness for being able to reach there to support her friends.

When the Post asked the squad about their reaction to the unexpected support, the players said it was something they could never have imagined.

“We had not expected any fans here,” was the common refrain.

But thanks to Lama’s devotion to Nepali women’s football, and the shared passion of those who joined him in the stands, the players never felt a shortage of cheers—no matter how far from home they were.

Lama, a lifelong sports enthusiast and a devoted fan of Argentina—from the era of Maradona to Messi—found a new passion in Nepali women’s football after their spirited performance at the WAFF Championship in Saudi Arabia last year. That tournament, where Nepal lost to Jordan in the final in penalties, marked a turning point in the team’s visibility and growing fanbase.

“Watching the way our girls played in WAFF was overwhelming—as a Nepali and as a football lover,” Lama said. “Ever since then, I’ve tried not to miss any major tournaments of our women’s team.”

Lama had travelled thousands of miles to be in the stands during the ANFA Women’s League 2024/25, Nepal’s top-tier women’s club competition, and during the Four Nations Cup at Dasharath Stadium in February, which featured Myanmar, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan.

“Ever since I started following our women’s football, the love has only grown,” he said. “And once I learned about the sacrifices and compromises made by our women footballers, I’ve come to hold nothing but the utmost respect for them.”

Lama was also there to support Nepal’s men’s cricket team during their T20 World Cup matches in the USA and the Caribbean last year.

“Travelling far is not easy,” he said. “But the troubles fade away when I see our players, wearing the national colours, challenging the world.”

His passion for Nepali sport followed him to Uzbekistan, and it inspired others. Ahead of the decisive match against the hosts on July 5, Lama helped rally around 50+ Nepali supporters to Bunyodkor Stadium.

“I wasn’t expecting to meet any Nepalis in Uzbekistan, since there is neither an embassy nor any consular office there,” Lama explained. “But during the tournament, we started connecting with Nepalis living in Tashkent and called them to come join us on the final day.”

Officials and local fans were surprised to see so many Nepali supporters in the stands. Uzbekistan’s head coach Kotryna Kulbyte also expressed thanks to the Nepali fans after the final match as they helped make the game more interesting and competitive. The astonishment was understandable: the 35,000-capacity stadium had seen only a handful of Uzbek spectators throughout the tournament.

“When I spoke with those who came to cheer, they told me there were about 150 Nepalis working in Tashkent on the construction of a stadium,” Lama said. “Now that the project is nearly finished, only around 120 Nepalis remain.”

The few dozen Nepali voices proved more than enough to fill the stadium with cheers. While the Uzbek fans tried to drown them out with musical instruments and larger numbers, the Nepali supporters held their own—waving flags and chanting for their team far from home.

Even Nepal’s head coach, Patrick De Wilde, was amazed to see so many Nepali supporters in the stands.

“Really?” Wilde asked in surprise when told that the final day had drawn even more Nepali fans.

Despite their teary eyes after losing to the hosts in penalties—following a remarkable comeback—Wilde and his players made sure to thank the crowd, waving in appreciation. They knew that the cheers had been one of the sparks behind the ‘remontada’.

But for Lama, who returned to the United States on Wednesday, the trip ended on a bittersweet note. He was saddened by the reports detailing the mismanagement that had overshadowed the team’s efforts.

“I found out that our players were spending hours in transit because the cheapest tickets had been booked. That is not how you treat national heroes,” Lama said. “Authorities are not taking players’ mental health seriously. Every mismanagement adds to the toll on the players—and it was visible from the stands when I watched our girls play.”

While the final result was heartbreaking—ending Nepal’s chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup, the Olympics, and the World Cup—Lama said the spirit the players showed, despite everything, was unforgettable.

“The fight our players put on, despite all the troubles they’ve been going through, against a team that was backed up by a solid investment and support, was nothing less than a marvel,” he said.

It was also thanks to Lama continuously recording the happenings of the stadium through his phone that Nepali fans got the chance to see the second and third goals against Uzbekistan; the live broadcast was interrupted due to internet issues in the stadium.

And he made a quiet promise: this would not be the last time he travelled to stand behind Nepali athletes.

“There is nothing bigger than being able to help, even in a small way, the ones who represent all of us on the world stage,” Lama said.

Photo: Courtesy of Dargye Rigzin

Himgyap Tashi Lama poses with the national flag during Nepali players’ warm-up session before the match against Laos in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at Bunyodkor (Milliy) Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 29.