Promising Sports Sector

A decade ago, Dasarath Stadium would be filled with spectators cheering the Nepali team, both clubs, and the country whenever there was a match. However, that crowd has recently shifted to TU International Cricket Stadium. Why? One may ask. The simplest explanation is leadership and the rise of sporting heroes.

Every Nepali knew the names of national football players and cheered them wholeheartedly. However, most of those famous faces were accused of match fixing. Nepal’s special Court later acquitted these former players of criminal charges due to a lack of sufficient evidence in 2018. But the damage had already been done. People stopped believing in football. And the downfall started.

Now, addressing the issue of leadership, ANFA (All Nepal Football Association), which is the governing body of Nepali football, fell into politicisation, leading to a halt in work. Most importantly, being unable to hold national level Sahid Smarak A-Division football league became their biggest failure. The league loved by many Nepalis, which saw packed stadiums during the match day, was gradually forgotten.

On the flip side, cricket, which was barely recognised, was suddenly in the limelight. The emergence of cricketing heroes like Paras Khadka, Shakti Gauchan, and Sarad Veswakar, among many, gave hope to Nepali people. Nepal even qualified and played their first-ever Cricket World Cup match in 2014. Even though the format was the T20 World Cup, this glimmer of hope and heroes representing Nepal in the field shifted the mood of Nepali from football to cricket. 

The emerging cricket idols like Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, among others, in the national team, who have continuously lived up to the expectations of the crowd has kept cricket relevant to date. Talking about the leadership in the cricketing world, the investment in the players, their tours, matches, and the recent construction of TU International Cricket Stadium, with the floodlights, has given a boost to Nepali cricket and its fans. 

The continuous qualification at the T-20 cricket world cup has shown that Nepali cricket, both players and management, are serious about taking bigger steps in that sport. And of course, this discussion cannot ignore the Nepal Premier League franchise, which has gained support at the international level and boosted the image of Nepali cricket worldwide.

Here, we must also look closely at our women’s cricket team and equally praise them. They have represented Nepal in World Cups and made a name for themselves and Nepali cricket globally. Then, the question arises, what should be done to uplift the once-loved footballing world of Nepal? The answer is simple: good management and development of Champions.

On the parallel side, women's football has seen credible improvement. They have produced champions like Sabitra Bhandari, aka Sambha, Anjila Tumbapo Subba, and Preeti Rai, among others, who are representing Nepal in foreign countries, including New Zealand, Jordan, and India. The women’s team has improved its ranking rapidly in recent days, and they are the ones who are attracting crowds back to Dasarath Stadium in recent years.

The rise of cricket, along with the progress in women’s football, shows that there is potential for other sports to thrive when supported by strong leadership, strategic investments, and passionate sportspersons. 

The recent success of cricket, both for men and women, and women’s football, offers a glimpse into the power of collective ambition and the need for a unified approach for building promises on sporting sector in Nepal.