Minister Pokhrel pledges grassroots sports development in Nepal

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu,April.1: Newly appointed Minister of Education, Science and Technology and Minister of Youth and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, has stressed that sports must be developed from the grassroots level to ensure the production of athletes.

He made the remarks during a welcome programme organised by the National Sports Council (NSC) on Tuesday. By provision, the Sports Minister serves as Chairperson of the NSC Board.

Pokharel announced plans to include sports in the school curriculum to strengthen grassroots development. “As policymakers, we will work with the Curriculum Development Centre to integrate sports into the school curriculum,” he said.

“The main problem in Nepali sports is that players are not nurtured from a young age. If we could provide proper diet and training from early childhood, the development of sports would accelerate significantly. The government’s main goal over the next five years is to produce athletes from the grassroots,” Minister Pokharel added.

Highlighting both challenges and opportunities in the sector, he emphasised that results must be demonstrated through action rather than words.  As Minister and NSC Chairperson, he further noted that the skills of all stakeholders should be recognised and utilised for the long-term development of sports.

Member of Parliament from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Dr Achyutam Lamichhane, said collective effort is needed to uplift the nation’s sporting sector. He also underlined the importance of making the Nepal Institute of Sports Science (NISS) more effective.

NSC Member Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta provided a brief overview of the NSC Board and Executive Committee’s structure, areas of work, budget, physical infrastructure, national sports associations, staff positions, pending awards for athletes, special training under Mission–2026, internal resources, and legislative amendments.