{{short description|Nepali footballer and FIFA referee}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Rupak Raj Sharma | image = File:Rupak Raj Sharma.jpg | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1954|1|23|df=y}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|9|28|1954|1|23|df=y}} | birth_place = Nepal | death_place = Bhattedanda, Nepal | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = Midfielder | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = | clubs1 = Boys Union Club | clubs2 = Shree Panch Mahendra Club | years2 = | nationalyears1 = 1974–1985 | nationalteam1 = Nepal | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | pcupdate = | ntupdate = }} '''Rupak Raj Sharma''' ({{langx|nep|रुपकराज शर्मा}}; 23 January 1954 – 28 September 1992) was a Nepali footballer who played as midfielder, and FIFA referee. Sharma captained the Nepal national football team from 1974 to 1985, and was a member of the FIFA refereeing panel from 1986 till 1992, when he died as result of the PIA Flight 268 crash.

== Playing career == Sharma made his domestic football debut with Boys Union Club, and captained the Nepal national football team for 11 years from 1974 till 1985.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Gurung, Lama feted with Rupak Memorial Award |url=https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2016/05/07/gurung-lama-feted-with-rupak-memorial-award |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Quaid-E-Azam International Cup (Pakistan) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesq/quaid-e-azam.html#82 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref> He also played for Shree Panch Mahendra Club.<ref name=":4" />

He had joined Nepal Police from 1975 and was holding the post of Superintendent of Police the time till his eventual death.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Nasana |date=2016-05-07 |title=Anil Gurung receives Rupak Memorial Award |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/anil-gurung-receives-rupak-memorial-award |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Sahukhala, Thapa, Mulmi honoured |url=https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2015/04/13/sahukhala-thapa-mulmi-honoured |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref>

== Refereeing career == After retiring as player, Sharma turned to refereeing, becoming the first Nepali to get a FIFA referee license in 1986.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-08 |title=DoPS issues six postage stamps |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/index.php/news/dops-issues-six-postage-stamps |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-21 |title=Call for Air Safety, Tribute Ride in Memory of the Victims of PIA Air Crash |url=https://www.newbusinessage.com/article/call-for-air-safety-tribute-ride-in-memory-of-the-victims-of-pia-air-crash |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=newbusinessage.com/ |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

== Death == Sharma acted as the head referee of the match between Pakistani club Wohaib and Club Valencia from Maldives in the return leg of the 1992–93 Asian Club Championship held at the Railway Stadium in Lahore on 27 September 1992.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web| title=Police Mirror 1992 | url=https://www.nepalpolice.gov.np/media/filer_public/92/d2/92d2bbc1-1904-4a31-82cf-7102e815de0d/police-mirror-1992-2049-final.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250403233833/https://www.nepalpolice.gov.np/media/filer_public/92/d2/92d2bbc1-1904-4a31-82cf-7102e815de0d/police-mirror-1992-2049-final.pdf | archive-date=2025-04-03}}</ref> The next day, upon on the way home from Pakistan after the match, Sharma died along with the other three assistant referees of the match, Shyam Shrestha, Roshan Kumar Shrestha and Hira Ratna Bajracharya,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Rishi |date=2006-05-24 |title=Rupak Memorial Award to Hari |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/rupak-memorial-award-to-hari |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen |first=Sandeep |date=2017-09-24 |title=Families, friends remember Sharma, 166 others |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/families-friends-remember-sharma-166-others |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref> in the PIA Flight 268 crash which crashed in the Bhattedanda, Nepal.

== Legacy == During his playing years, Rupak Raj Sharma received the Best Player award in 1981.<ref name=":4" /> He was also awarded with the prestigious Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.<ref name=":3" />

After his death, an organisation named Rupak Memorial Foundation was formed in Nepal to tribute Sharma along with the other passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-08 |title=A tribute ride in memory of the victims of PIA air crash |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/a-tribute-ride-in-memory-of-the-victims-of-pia-air-crash |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com |language=en}}</ref> The All Nepal Football Association also set up an annual award called Rupak Memorial Award, which has been honouring football personalities in memory of his name.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2007 |title=In memory of a national star |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/in-memory-of-a-national-star |website=The Himalayan Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-08 |title=ANFA honors 10 with Rupak Memorial Award |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/anfa-honors-10-with-rupak-memorial-award |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 2013, the Nepal Post issued six new postage stamps honouring five different Nepali personalities including Sharma.<ref name=":3" />

In September 2017, Rupak Memorial Foundation organised a cycle ride to mark the 25th anniversary of the plane crash in Lele.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen |first=Sandeep |date=2017-09-24 |title=Families, friends remember Sharma, 166 others |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/families-friends-remember-sharma-166-others |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen |first=Sandeep |date=2017-09-22 |title=Ride to pay tribute to Sharma |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/ride-to-pay-tribute-to-rupak-rajsharma |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{NFT player|pid=88999}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Rupak Raj}} Category:1954 births Category:1992 deaths Category:Football people in Nepal Category:Nepalese men's footballers Category:South Asian Games medalists in football Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for Nepal Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Nepal men's international footballers Category:Footballers at the 1982 Asian Games Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Nepal Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1992