Sports situation worsens: NNIPA vs NOC

June 29, 2006
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With less than 50 days left for the South Asian Games (SAG), Nepal’s sports fraternity is involved in conflict instead of starting full fledged preparations for up-coming SAG Games, extravaganza for SAARC countries, to be held from August 17-28 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Demanding assurance and benefits for players, coaches and the sports fraternity, the Nepal National and International Players Association (NNIPA) had padlocked the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) blaming NOC officials of looking after their own interests instead of working for the players’ benefits. After the office was locked for a few days, NOC officials showed keen interest to hold tripartite meetings with NOC, Nepal Sports Council (NSC) and NNIPA.

Unfortunately, there has been no positive outcome with the condition worsening further. On Wednesday, the situation became more critical when NNIPA issued a 48-hour ultimatum to NOC to come to the negotiating table after the failure of first round of talks.

The NNIPA even demanded the resignation of newly appointed Member Secretary of NSC Bodh Raj Niraula saying he is unable to solve the problem.

While South Asian neighbors have already begun preparations for the SAG, our players are training on their own expenses and the feud has not been resolved. This is not good news.

Players are frustrated and officials are in dilemma and irresponsible NOC and NSC officials are crossing their fingers for a positive outcome.

The 48-hour ultimatum came when NOC officials refused to sign a written agreement during the first round of talks. According to Kumar Bahadur Karki, General Secretary of NNIPA, although both the parties agreed on most of the points, NOC officials refused to sign the agreement publicly.

A tripartite talk was held in presence of Minister for Education and Sports Mangal Siddhi Manandhar. NNIPA had demanded that NOC should make commitment through written documents in front of players, coaches and media persons.

Players are continuing their training despite seeing such dire circumstances wearing black arm bands in protest of NOC’s indifference.

According to NNIPA officials, they are also planning to correspond with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Asian Olympic Committee (AOC) with all the news published regarding the players stir along with the collected signatures to apprise them of the reality of the matter.

Whatever the situation shows is that politics has made an inroad into Nepalese sports which is sure to cause a damper. The timing could not be worse with a big tournament knocking on the door.