Republic Reshapes Sports Landscape

Nepali sports underwent a significant transformation, shifting to a federal republic system. It moved from a centralised structure to a decentralised one, bringing substantial changes in policies and governance. Laws were updated to align with the country's new framework.

Sports were no longer seen as just an extracurricular activity. It became essential to national identity, leadership development, and youth engagement. It also helped strengthen unity and social cohesion.

To support this shift, the Sports Development Act 2020 replaced the older 1992 Act. This law ensured the decentralisation of sports governance. The National Sports Council remained under federal jurisdiction, while Provincial Sports Councils and District Sports Development Committees were created to oversee local sports.

With decentralised governance, sports started benefiting from improved budget allocation. However, the plan to increase the sports budget to 1 per cent of the national budget remains unfulfilled. While funding has grown, it is still below 0.5 per cent.

Infrastructure development is now a priority. Governments at all levels are investing in training, tournaments, and facilities. Yet, scattered budgets have slowed progress. Additionally, cash rewards and sports insurance policies have been provisioned in regulation to motivate and support athletes, coaches, and officials.

Since Nepal adopted a republican federal system in 2008, its athletes have achieved remarkable success in sports. Despite limited investment and facilities, they have made history on the international stage. Several athletes have brought pride to the nation. Para-athlete Palesha Goverdhan, karateka Arika Gurung, boxer Sushma Tamang, badminton player Prince Dahal, swimmer Gaurika Singh, and runners Ajit Yadav and Pushpa Bhandari have all left their mark in international competitions.

In team sports, cricket gained global attention by securing a place in the World Cup. Volleyball, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, and football also won international recognition. Palesha made history by winning Nepal's first Paralympic medal, a bronze in Para Taekwondo at the Paris 2024 Games. She was also the first Nepali athlete to win a medal at any Olympic level. Nepal has never won an official medal at the Summer Games in its 60-year-long Olympic history. Her achievements include victories at the Asian Para Games 2023, Asian Youth Para Games 2021, and 4th Asian Para Taekwondo Championship 2018.

Arika Gurung took the nation by storm with a silver medal win in karate at the 2023 Asian Games, Nepal's first Asiad silver in 25 years. She also won medals in the 20th Asian Senior Karate Championship, 10th World Siteriyo Karate Championship, US Open Karate Championship, and 8th South Asian Karate Championship.

Sushma Tamang became Nepal's first boxer to win silver at the ASBC Asian Under-22 Boxing Championship. No Nepali boxer had reached an Asian-level final before her.

Ajit Yadav grabbed gold in the 3,000m at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships, a landmark achievement in long-distance running.

Pushpa Bhandari won the first international marathon title by winning the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2021 under the South Asian category.

Prince Dahal became Nepal's first badminton player to top the Junior World Rankings in 2022. Table tennis player Shantoo Shrestha earned a spot in the Olympics, becoming the third Nepali player to qualify for the Olympics.

Team sports also made history. Nepal won silver in paragliding at the 2018 Asian Games and bronze in Kabaddi at the 2023 Asian Games.

The men's and women's Kho Kho teams won silver medals at India's first Kho Kho World Cup, marking a historic achievement.

The women's volleyball team claimed Nepal's first international gold by winning Bangladesh's AVC Central Zone title in 2019. They also secured silver in the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) held in Nepal. The men's volleyball team earned their first international bronze at the Asian Volleyball Confederation Central Zone event.

In football, Nepal won its first Asian title by lifting the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia in 2016. That same year, they won gold at the South Asian Games (SAG) in India and triumphed in the Bangabandhu Cup in Bangladesh. In 2021, Nepal reached the SAFF Championship final for the first time.

Above all, hosting the 13th SAG in Nepal after two decades was the most significant achievement. Held across Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Janakpur, Nepal won a record 206 medals, including 51 golds, surpassing the previous best of 31 in 1999.

Gaurika Singh became the first Nepali swimmer to win an individual gold at the 13th SAG, finishing with seven medals. She equalled Taekwondo player Deepak Bista's record.

Nepali athletes shined in middle-distance races. Gopi Chandra Parki won gold in the men's 5,000m, and Santoshi Shrestha secured the women's 10,000m title. Nepal also won boxing gold after 20 years and claimed its first gold in cycling, golf, triathlon, and wrestling.

Meantime, cricket saw a massive rise in popularity. Nepal moved from Division 5 in 2008 to the ICC World Cricket League 2 and earned ODI status in 2018. The men's team played in the T20 World Cup in 2014 and returned in 2024. They set multiple records at the Asian Games, including being the first team to score 300+ runs in a single match. Kushal Malla hit the fastest T20 century in 34 balls, while Dipendra Singh Airee smashed a half-century in just nine balls.

Nepal reached the One Day World Cup global qualifier and played against India, Pakistan, and South Africa in the Asia Cup. The women's team qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time, and the U19 team returned to the U20 World Cup after 2016.

The Nepal Premier League took domestic cricket to new heights, ranking among the world's top five franchise leagues. Joining the bandwagon, Kabaddi and women's volleyball also launched franchise leagues. Football was already holding the Nepal Super League. Nepali sports have achieved a lot, but significant challenges remain. Governance issues, political interference, and corruption continue to hold back progress. Funding is limited, and sports infrastructure development is sluggish. This makes it difficult for athletes to develop and compete internationally.

The government must reduce corruption and political interference to support sports growth. Increasing the budget for infrastructure and athlete welfare is also crucial. Regular high-performance training, top-class coaching, scholarships for international training, and global match exposure can help athletes achieve consistent success.

(The author is an associate editor at The Rising Nepal.)