His Majesty commanded DHI to provide financial assistance to the 30 National players
With the noble objective to encourage sports and events that promote national unity, His Majesty the King commanded DHI to provide financial assistance to 30 national football players.
To this effect, an MoU was signed between DHI and BFF on the occasion of His Majesty’s 40th birth anniversary, said a DHI press release.
National Player, Chencho Gyaltshen expressed deep gratitude to His Majesty and said, “It is a very big inspiration not only for footballers but also for all other sports. This Kidu motivates us and now we can survive through sports in Bhutan as well. Fellow footballers will get a total of Nu 30,000 per month salary with the existing Nu 10,000 per month from Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) and now the enhanced Nu 20,000 from DHI.”
The Competition Officer of the BFF Kinley Dorji said, “It is His Majesty’s Birthday today but this this like a birthday gift to us from His Majesty. I have been working for the last 13 years in BFF as the competition officer and when such a Command comes we feel that we have done something for football and it gives us great happiness.”
He said that with such a gift there is big responsibility on everyone and more will be expected from the players. He said that it was difficult for national-level players to survive on Nu 10,000 per month in a city like Thimphu and so the Nu 30,000 will mean that players have enough income and this will result in better self-discipline and more focus on football as players do not have to look for other sources of income.
Kinley said that football overall would now improve.
The President and founder of Paro FC, Karma Jigme whose club team has six national players said that while the financial help is very important the Royal gesture itself will have a far reaching impact.
“It is very encouraging as I think now the entire people who are involved in sports, including the government, will take it positively and they will all be more engaged in decision making when it comes to sports. Till date, sports was not a priority for government agencies but now with this Soelra they will get the message from the very top,” said Karma.
Karma said that he and his family members who have put in money in Paro FC are not getting anything out of it financially but are doing it out of interest and for the country. He said with an important Royal solera like this he and others would be more encouraged to put in more funds and investment into the club.
The DHI funds will come from its Corporate Social Responsibility fund.
The Bhutanese in December 2019 did an article pointing out how Bhutan’s national players only get Nu 10,000 a month and how many of them have to keep sacrificing to play for the country.