Paralympic Medal To Cricket Revolution

The year 2024 kicked off with a thrilling showdown between Koshi Province and Sudurpaschim Province on January 1, battling for the last spot in the PM Women's Cup 2023/24 final. Little did anyone know, this intense start was just the prelude to a year brimming with unforgettable moments, including the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL), as cricket emerged as the heartbeat of Nepali sports by the end of the year.

 While cricket undoubtedly captured much of the spotlight, 2024 was also a year of diverse achievements across Nepali sports. The standout moment came when Nepal secured its first-ever Paralympic medal—a bronze in taekwondo—in Paris 2024 through the remarkable efforts of Palesha Goverdhan and her coach, Kabiraj Negi Lama. This groundbreaking accomplishment stood tall as a historic milestone, symbolising a new era of possibilities for Nepali athletes on the world stage. 

Nepal began participating in the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 and the Paralympics in Athens in 2004. However, the country achieved its first medal only when Palesha won bronze as the world’s biggest sporting event returned to Paris after a century.

Furthermore, significant victories in football, volleyball, martial arts, athletics, and para games added to Nepal's expanding sports legacy, making 2024 a landmark year for the nation.

Cricket

The year 2024 was unforgettable for Nepali cricket, offering fans countless moments to celebrate. The highlight was the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL), held from November 30 to December 21, where the Janakpur Bolts emerged victorious.

While tournaments like the Dhangadi Premier League, Pokhara Premier League, Everest Premier League, and Nepal T20 League were organised earlier, the NPL surpassed them all, establishing itself as Nepal's premier cricketing event. The tournament's success stemmed from increased transparency and accountability under Paras Khadka, Nepal’s cricket legend and CAN secretary.

The NPL's star power elevated its status, featuring international icons like Martin Guptill, James Neesham, Shikhar Dhawan, and Sohail Tanvir as players, alongside mentors like Jonty Rhodes and Brad Hodge. Adding further prestige, cricket’s GOAT, Brian Lara, graced the tournament, aptly dubbed the Festival of the Himalayas. Broadcast on Star Sports, the NPL provided a platform for Nepali talents, like 16-year-old Bipin Sharma, to shine.

Nepal also reached the Super 6 stage of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup in January, defeating Afghanistan to make history. By the end of the year, Nepal turned heads in the T20 World Cup, with strong showings against South Africa and Bangladesh, and their passionate crowd in Dallas captured global attention.

The Kirtipur-based Tribhuvan University (TU) International Cricket Ground, Nepal’s home of cricket, hosted the first match of the first tri-series of the ICC CWC League 2 (2024-27) cycle when the Netherlands and Namibia arrived in February. It was followed by a tri-series in Canada, the USA, and Oman. 

The TU Ground also welcomed West Indies and Ireland’s A teams before hosting all the games of the 1st NPL.

While their performance in League 2 has been underwhelming, with only two wins in 12 matches, there remains hope for a comeback in the ongoing cycle. With such milestones, 2024 truly set a foundation for the growth of Nepali cricket.

Male cricketers also shocked the home fans when they defeated the likes of England and Australia in the Hong Kong Sixes (November).

The men’s blind cricket team of Nepal was also at the forefront of the Blind T20 World Cup in Pakistan in November-December as they reached the semi-finals, where they lost to the host.

Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee climbed to the second position as the world’s best all-rounder in T20Is by the ICC in 2024, while Sandeep Lamichhane was also acquitted of rape and made a return to the national team.

Similarly, several national-level tournaments kept the cricketing calendar vibrant throughout the year in Nepal. For instance, the 6th Men’s PM Cup (Jan-Feb), U19 Women’s Maiyadevi Cup, 1st Koshi Province Trophy (March), and 1st Naresh Shrestha Memorial U19 Men’s Cricket Tournament (October-November). 

Women athletes 

Palesha Goverdhan is a name etched forever in the annals of Nepali sports, celebrated as the trailblazer who secured Nepal's first-ever medal in the Paralympics. Her achievement not only marked a historic milestone but also shattered stereotypes about women’s strength and resilience. Yet, she was not the only female athlete to keep Nepal buzzing with sports achievements and inspiring stories throughout the year.

The Nepali women’s senior and U-19 cricket teams recently made their mark in the Asia Cups, with the U-19 team qualifying for the 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup after defeating the UAE, Thailand, and Kuwait in the Asian Qualifiers. The senior team also celebrated their first-ever win in the Asia Cup, beating the UAE in July. 

While the women’s cricket achievements may not yet match those of the men’s team, it is widely acknowledged that they have overcome greater challenges, given the lack of support and resources. This struggle is not unique to cricket, as Nepali women athletes have consistently broken barriers in 2024.

Sabitra Bhandari, aka Samba, Nepal’s top scorer, made history by surpassing 50 goals in February and joining the French senior women’s football division with En Avant Guingamp. She became the first Nepali, male or female, to achieve both feats. Following her success, Rekha Poudel joined the Abu Dhabi Country Club, and goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba signed with the Greek A Division club Nees Atromitou.

In football, the Nepali women’s team stunned the world by finishing as runners-up at the 8th WAFF Women’s Championship in Saudi Arabia, losing to Jordan in penalties. They also made a strong comeback in the semi-final of the 7th SAFF Women’s Championship, only to be edged out by Bangladesh in the final. The final, held at a packed Dasharath Stadium, drew a record-breaking 1 million+ live viewers on YouTube, highlighting the growing popularity of women’s football in Nepal despite challenges in the sport’s administration.

Volleyball player Kabita Bhatta won the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award in the People’s Choice category with over 50 per cent of votes against cricketer Gulshan Kumar Jha, rugby player Shriram Shrestha, footballer Preeti Rai, and kabaddi player Manmati Bista.

The Nepali women’s volleyball team also showcased their abilities by defeating India, Iran, and Sri Lanka in the group stage of the 2024 CAVA Women's Volleyball Nations League (August), but they lost to India in the final. The team was also praised when they lost but put up a good fight in two friendlies against a senior team from Russia in July.

The 1st edition of the Everest Women’s Volleyball League (EWVL) was also a success, where Nepali volleyball players got an opportunity to play with the best women players from foreign countries and improve further.  Likewise, Arika Gurung, a karateka from Nepal, won a silver medal in the 20th Asian Senior Karate Championship in China in September. She won the medal around a week later after becoming the Player of the Year in the female category in the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award.

Boxer Swastika Tiruwa won a gold medal at the ISF Gymnasiade Summer 2024 by disallowing the opponents from Brazil from getting a single point in the semis and final.

Nepal as host

Yes, TU Cricket Ground was at the forefront of hosting big names in the sport throughout 2024. Nepal also welcomed Greg Barclay, then President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in March; he was the first sitting ICC President to visit Nepal. However, cricket was not alone in hosting big tournaments within the country. For instance, Nepal hosted the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy (AREST), the second biggest rugby 7s tournament in Asia, in both men’s and women’s categories in October. The Philippines emerged victorious in both categories.

The then-muddy Dasharath Rangasala, the home of Nepali football, also hosted Japan’s football legend Keisuke Honda when he represented Bhutan’s Paro FC against Church Boys United in the preliminary match of the AFC Challenge League 2024 (August). Nepal also hosted the SAFF U-16 Women’s Championship (March) and SAFF U-20 Men’s Championship (August) before the SAFF Women’s Championship in October. 

Kathmandu also welcomed players from across South Asia in the South Asian Regional Qualification Tournament for Paris 2024. Santoo Shrestha emerged victorious in the qualifiers and became the first Nepali table tennis player and only the third Nepali to have qualified for the Summer Olympics, making the event a historic one.

Sports authorities

Nepal saw the beginning of several different tournaments and activities in 2024 with the activeness of concerned authorities. For example, the construction of Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium resumed after two years. Likewise, the new government led by KP Sharma Oli surprised Nepalis when the Cabinet’s first decision, on July 15, was to upgrade TU International Cricket Ground in 300 days. The deadline is about to end, but the ground has not seen any major upgrades. Furthermore, Nepal saw three different faces as the Minister for Youth and Sports in 365 days of 2024. Dig Bahadur Limbu was the minister until March 5, while Biraj Bhakta Shrestha led the ministry until July 15, paving the path for Teju Lal Chaudhary to be the third sports minister of the year. Nevertheless, the authorities initiating the 1st National Para Games and 1st U-15 School Sports Tournament gave the country a new hope.  But the death of six U-15 children of ANFA Academy in Sisneri, Makwanpur, in a landslide in September and actions taken after the incident have raised concerns over the liability and accountability of national players by the state.

International scenario

The year 2024 also saw ups and downs in the global sports world. While Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja stepped down from T20Is, Rafael Nadal left tennis as one of the greatest of all times in November. On the other hand, Mike Tyson, who retired back in 2005, made a comeback after 19 years to fight Jake Paul on November 16.  

Likewise, 2024 became the year when Cristiano Ronaldo crossed the 900-goal mark in his international career and became the first player to achieve the milestone.  The 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris saw the sports sector reaching greater heights. Spain defeated Germany in the Euro Cup 2024 final while Lionel Messi’s Argentina lifted the Copa America for a record 16th time. Ivory Coast and Qatar lifted the AFCON and AFC Asian Cup trophies, respectively.Also, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was the recipient of the Men’s Ballon d’Or, and Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona received the Women’s Ballon d’Or for 2024. Likewise, Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Real Madrid sparked a buzz in the sports world, but Erling Haaland’s Manchester City downfall left the fans shocked. Viktor Gyokeres had the year for himself in football with better stats than others. Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes after 12 years was one of the unforgettable moments that took place in the world of sports as 2024 came to an end.

(Poudel is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)