Ahead of the final <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/ruckus-at-the-rangasala">SAFF Women’s Championship</a> game between Nepal and Bangladesh in late October, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), had to take over the sale of tickets for the game in Kathmandu after turnout exceeded the stadium’s 15,000 capacity. Thousands of fans queued up for hours to see the match, and more than 1 million people tuned in to watch the game on YouTube where it was officially streamed live, marking highest live viewership ever recorded in Nepal’s sports history. The women’s team <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-defeated-but-not-dejected">lost that final match to Bangladesh</a>, but the spirit and skill the Nepalis displayed shined a belated spotlight on Nepal’s female athletes. &nbsp; In 2024, Nepali athletes in many other sports besides football also showed notable performances on the world stage, and their compatriots attended the events in overwhelming numbers to cheer them on. &nbsp; In March, Nepal’s para-taekwondo player Palesha Goverdhan won gold during the Asian Paralympics qualification rounds, advancing to the 2024 summer Paralympics games in Paris, where she won the bronze in September. Goverdhan is Nepal's first-ever Paralympic medalist, and the first athlete ever from Nepal to bring home a competitive medal in the history of the Olympic Games.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241130051128_80167ae7dbb093df0f15032aa1452f604bf441e451660f0c281d71e5193686b9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241130051128_80167ae7dbb093df0f15032aa1452f604bf441e451660f0c281d71e5193686b9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1280" height="720" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal’s women excel in sports in 2024"> <figcaption>Para-taekwondo player Palesha Goverdhan celebrates after winning bronze at the 2024 Paris Paraolympic Games. Photo: PARAOLYMPIC GAMES / X</figcaption> </figure>  In August, Nepal hosted the 2024 CAVA Women's Volleyball Challenge Cup, during which the national volleyball team was placed second, having lost the final match to India.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241130051132_fd7ef44810b72cd193dd623e5c7aae659c5010d558146d8a12ebf9e351265bda.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241130051132_fd7ef44810b72cd193dd623e5c7aae659c5010d558146d8a12ebf9e351265bda" data-rendition-name="original" width="1280" height="881" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal’s women excel in sports in 2024"> <figcaption>The national women's volleyball team won silver at the 2024 CAVA Women's Volleyball Challenge Cup in August.</figcaption> </figure>  Then in November, the Nepal U-19 women’s cricket team defeated the UAE at the Asia Qualifiers, advancing to their first-ever ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup beginning in January next year.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241130051132_991b8e096217de75c55810b5b7edfbf176a959b3a3258d84a29cd86551ada001.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241130051132_991b8e096217de75c55810b5b7edfbf176a959b3a3258d84a29cd86551ada001" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1366" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal’s women excel in sports in 2024"> <figcaption>Krishma Gurung's four-wicket spell during the Asia Qualifiers match against the UAE helped the Nepal team qualify for the 2025 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup. Photo: ICC</figcaption> </figure>  Meanwhile, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/sunmaya-budha-stays-in-the-running">Nepali ultra-marathon runner Sunmaya Budha</a> has run seven races across the world this year, most recently placing 11th overall and first among women at the 105km Tsaigu Trail in November.&nbsp; “Nepali women have been performing exceptionally across many sports events both individually and as teams,” says national volleyball player Saraswati Chaudhary. “And as our games get better, our quality of life has also begun to improve.” Most Nepali athletes attribute the success of themselves and their teams more to teamwork, dedication and drive than government support, funding, training, and infrastructure. The Ministry of Youth and Sports is the least coveted portfolio whenever a new government is formed because it is among those that has the smallest annual budget.&nbsp; In fact, Nepal’s leaders have been too busy with their own power play to pay attention to the development of sports in Nepal. Although senior officials are fast to take credit for any outstanding performance, they do not provide athletes with adequate support, and there is even less of that for female sports people. In fact, what is suprising is how well Nepali women athletes have been performing despite the lack of state backup. The latest example is the 10th Nepal National Games, which was supposed to run from 17-24 November in Karnali Province but could not be held. Officials have been mum about the reasons, whether it has been postponed or suspended. &nbsp; The national budget this year allocated Rs3.5 billion to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Rs600 million of which was set aside for the National Games. While sports in general gets the short end of the stick, female athletes are even more left out. Some of Nepal’s notable athletes in cricket, football, volleyball, and karate came together in a panel to talk about the state of women’s sport in Nepal at the Kantipur Conclave earlier this month. They discussed, sometimes emotionally, what has prevented women from performing better in consequential tournaments. Regardless of sport, their concerns were similar: lack of infrastructure, investment, and training for female athletes.&nbsp; While the men’s teams have league, club, and other domestic games and tournaments, the women do not.&nbsp; Nepali women’s football team ranks 99th in the world, and is many notches higher that the men’s national football team, which is ranked an inglorious 176th globally. Even so, the women footballers do not get the opportunities as their male counterparts to participate in competitive domestic league and club games to gain exposure and experience. &nbsp; The same is the case for women in cricket. Nepal’s national women’s team captain Indu Barma has publicly poured scorn at the lack of domestic matches and league tournaments for female cricketers in the country, even as men have the opportunity to play in the upcoming <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/here-comes-the-nepal-premier-league">Nepal Premier League</a>. This comes as other South Asian nations expand investment into sports, and women’s sports in particular.&nbsp; Days after Nepal lost the SAFF Women’s cup, a player in the national football team Preeti Rai appeared in a tv interview to highlight the difference between training regimen in neighbouring countries.&nbsp; “I learned from friends in Bhutan that they has months of intensive training, and even got homework at football camp. We did not even know you could get homework in football,” Rai mused.&nbsp; A silver lining, especially for Nepali women footballers, is that this has led them to play for international clubs, where they are gaining income and experience they would not get at home.&nbsp; Currently, 10 players from the national women’s football team roster play for international clubs. Striker Sabitra (‘Samba’) Bhandari joined the French Division 1 club En Avant Guingamp, playing her first match for the team in February.&nbsp; Team captain Anjila Tumbapo Subba signed up with the Greek A Division Women's football club Nees Atromitou in September. Seven more national team players play for Indian clubs, and for a club in Abu Dhabi. Rai’s impassioned post on social media after the team’s loss, in which she introspected her team’s performance, her future in the sport, as well as the future of young Nepali girls who hope to become footballers, garnered much attention on social media, and opened discussions about the state of women’s sports in the country.&nbsp; What rankles women athletes the most is discrimination with their male counterparts over the issue of pay. Male football players used to earn more than twice the amount than their female compatriots before ANFA decided to introduce equal pay in 2021. At present, contracted players from both the men’s and women’s team receive a monthly salary of Rs30,000 per month.&nbsp; However, the same does not hold in other sports. When the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced its central contracts for players in 2020, the male players earned more than thrice the amount that female cricketers. A new annual contract was announced earlier in 2024, for 30 male and 19 female cricketers, with players divided into four ‘grades’ from A to D, with an additional category for emerging players.&nbsp; But although salaries for players were increased, female cricketers still earn half of what their male counterparts make.&nbsp; The remuneration of volleyball players is even less. Nepal’s volleyball players receive a measly Rs5,000 monthly salary, that too not from the government but from former players based overseas who have taken the initiative to contribute.&nbsp; Money for sports tends to come only in the form of rewards and cash prizes after (and only if) players win important matches. They are also garlanded and welcomed with a parade around Kathmandu in open pickups, but not if they lose.&nbsp; Palesha Goverdhan was awarded Rs6.5 million by the government, and got more cash prizes from the private sector groups for her bronze in the Paris &nbsp;Paralympics. The Nepali women’s volleyball players who won silver at the CAVA tournament received Rs300,000 as a prize.&nbsp; These rewards are well-deserved, but female athletes say investment in women’s sports needs to come in regularly, and before they win matches.&nbsp; Then there is the tremendous pressure from the Nepali public to perform better, and unending criticism when athletes are unable to meet expectations in crucial matches. &nbsp; “We’ve heard claims that the Nepali women’s team are going to play the 2027 World Cup,” Anjila Tumbapo Subba, captain of the Nepali women’s national football team, remarked sardonically at the Kantipur panel. “We might as well say that our team is going to play on the moon next.” And as with most career paths, there are societal constraints, but perhaps more so in sports, which many Nepali national female athletes have discussed being discouraged from because “it is something boys do”. “Just as women athletes begin to peak in their sport, there is pressure to settle down and get married, and discontinue their career,” said Saraswati Chaudhary. “I have seen many great female athletes migrate overseas because of this.”&nbsp;

Shristi Karki

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Nepal’s women excel in sports in 2024

The Nepal Premier League T20 men’s cricket tournament is a culmination of much progress in the sport in Nepal over the past decade, and a thrilling first step into higher level sports events in the country. Adding to the excitement is the international talent taking part. The tournament features eight teams made up of Nepali and international cricketers, including Shikhar Dhawan, one of India’s greatest ODI batsmen over the 2010s, and an IPL stalwart for the Delhi and Mumbai franchises. Dhawan is playing for the Karnali Yaks at the NPL. Other eminent imports include Kiwi batsman Martin Guptill, Indian-American Unmukt Chand, and Trinidadian fast bowler Anderson Philip. The NPL franchises are named for Nepal’s provinces and cities. Beside the Yaks, there are the Biratnagar Kings, the Chitwan Rhinos, the Janakpur Bolts, the Kathmandu Gurkhas, the Lumbini Lions, the Pokhara Avengers, and the Sudurpaschim Royals. The franchises have a wide variety of backers, including Kantipur Publications behind the Gurkhas, Chitwan Medical College behind the Rhinos, and Himalayan Builders for the Yaks. These entities are paying the international stars salaries rumoured to be in the Rs5 million range ($37,000) for the 21-day contest.&nbsp; The teams will play each other first in a round-robin league, after which the best performers will progress to playoffs. There will be 32 games in total, all to be held at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur which is being spruced up, including additions of an expanded boundary, digital scoreboard, new sight screens, and practice pitches.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241129041152_9236da646959b888a8635b10bd46b9f9e08f0068ab031a4b8ad736a185288164.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20241129041152_9236da646959b888a8635b10bd46b9f9e08f0068ab031a4b8ad736a185288164" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="NPL"> </figure>  “Holding all the games at the same stadium makes sense logistically for this inaugural season,” says Chhumbi Lama of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). “Future editions will see matches happen across Nepal.”&nbsp; Another benefit of the tournament in future is that it may expedite the completion and upgrades of stadiums across the country, such as Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu, the Gautam Buddha International Stadium in Bharatpur, and the Fapla Cricket Ground in Kailali. The main benefit of the tournament is said to be the development of Nepali cricket talent. The rules are also made up to favour this with each 16-player squad having no more than four foreign players. One Nepali ‘marquee’ player was selected by lottery, and others were signed through auctions for as high as Rs1.5 million. “Each team will have the marquee player from the province they represent,” says Lama, although this does not seem to be the case in practice. The 24-year-old leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, for example, is captaining the Biratnagar Kings, although he comes from Syangja district in Gandaki Province. “NPL’s goal is to support the development of cricket and our players,” says ex-captain and CAN secretary Paras Khadka. Players who are not usually selected for the national team will have the chance to show their cricketing skills. This has proved very beneficial in similar domestic leagues around the world. The Indian Premier League, for instance, led to the discovery and improvement of players like fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batsman Suryakumar Yadav, who not only have become regular starters for the Indian national team, but also are now some of the top-ranked cricketers in the world, contributing to India being the best team in both T20s and ODIs. Nepal’s excellent run in the T20 World Cup this summer, with stellar performances against The Netherlands, South Africa and Bangladesh showed the world that the country could compete at the highest level in cricket. This has added to the legitimacy of the NPL and also promises longevity through future editions: the titular sponsor of the tournament, Siddhartha Bank, has committed to this role until 2029. Ncell is also involved, as the ‘Powered by’ sponsor, continuing the telecom company’s support for cricket, football, volleyball, golf and paralympic athletes. Another sponsor for the Kathmandu Gurkhas, is Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD. Adding weight to the NPL is that it is being broadcast live on Star Sports, giving it a global audience. Perhaps the eyes on the tournament that will have the added benefit of discouraging match fixing which has been a problem in past attempts to organise cricket leagues in Nepal.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024112905110_d1817c8e82f476c20081dae3ba820c7f7305b8cfb095a97264915c6af50f3d60.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024112905110_d1817c8e82f476c20081dae3ba820c7f7305b8cfb095a97264915c6af50f3d60" data-rendition-name="original" width="1440" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal Premier League NT 3"> </figure>  The 2022-23 Nepal T20 league, sold to Indian sports management company Seven3Sports by CAN, saw individual cricketers approached by sports bettors to ‘spot-fix’ by getting out quickly or conceding a lot of runs when bowling. The large sums of money offered to the athletes by fixers is tempting, especially considering that salaries are not only low but sometimes unpaid. This led to an investigation from officials from the International Cricket Council, and cases filed against cricketers by the District Attorney’s Office in Kathmandu. The much wider coverage of this tournament should do better at discouraging corruption. Ticketing partner Khalti reports that tickets for the opening game are quickly selling out. The winning trophy was revealed at a ceremony at Dharara on Saturday. Marquee Players including Lamichhane, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami flanked Prime Minister KP Oli as he presented the cup: a large silver piece with an engraving of Mt Everest, topped by a stone from Kala Pattar (pictured).&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241129041152_f37ca66b9e68f28ad9bf1ab6f7dc74314e71345b8b3a02794c62be9357fb08be.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241129041152_f37ca66b9e68f28ad9bf1ab6f7dc74314e71345b8b3a02794c62be9357fb08be" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="720" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal Premier League NPL NT 1"> </figure>  The tournament kicks off at 12:15PM on Saturday 30 November, with a game between the Biratnagar Kings and the Janakpur Bolts. Two games are scheduled almost every day until 16 December, with the first starting at 9:15AM and the second at 1:15PM. Playoffs start on 18 December with teams that end up third and fourth playing first, with the loser eliminated. The first and second play next, with the winner advancing to the final. The loser then plays the winner of the first match for a place in the final. This format, compared to a straight semifinal-final approach, rewards teams for having done better in the group stages, as teams 1 and 2 have multiple chances at reaching the grand finale on 21 December. A team to look out for is the Sudurpaschim Royals which is well-backed, with the most Facebook followers. Captained by popular national team all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, the Royals also have batsman Aarif Sheikh, bowler Abinash Bohara and Scottish all-rounder Brandon McMullen in their ranks.

Vishad Raj Onta

Here comes the Nepal Premier League

On paper, Nepal had a terrible time at the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas. Three defeats in games against The Netherlands, South Africa and Bangladesh. One game washed out against Sri Lanka. Dumped out of the group stage, with a grand total of just one point. Yet, Nepal overperformed. None of the three defeats were remotely embarrassing. In fact, in the latest match against Bangladesh, Nepal had a fighting chance right until the last overs. If only a few things gone its way, the Rhinos would have beaten both The Netherlands and South Africa.&nbsp; Frenzied Nepali fans packed stadiums in Dallas and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The audience was overwhelmingly blue and red, dhaka topis and flags aplenty. The diaspora had flown in from New Hampshire, Texas, Indiana, and the UK and were the most effective cheerleaders of any of the fans.&nbsp; “Even the locals and neutrals wanted Nepal to win,” says Shrochis Karki, who flew from Oxford to watch the matches against South Africa and Bangladesh.&nbsp; “You could feel the emotional connection between the fans and the team. There was so much joy at every boundary,” describes BBC Nepali sports correspondent Niranjan Rajbanshi who is covering the games. “Ultimately, the difference in experience between the established test-playing nations and Nepal as an associate country led to the defeats.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240617150620_7783614c46c99b90352147c7bf97f84184d0f75d196d0136e8e0dcc46612f12b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240617150620_7783614c46c99b90352147c7bf97f84184d0f75d196d0136e8e0dcc46612f12b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal fans ICC T20"> <figcaption>Nepali fans travelled across the world to watch Nepal play at the tournament.</figcaption> </figure>  The tournament seemed to generally favour bowlers and part of the reason lies in the pitches. The US is not much of a cricketing country and despite imported Australian experts, its turfs were not the most conducive for batting.&nbsp; “Nepal’s strength has always been its bowling. This is the strongest possible group of Nepali batsmen and they did as well as they could. They will get better at these situations as they play more against good teams,” explains Rajbanshi.&nbsp; Nepal had a much better fielding performance against Bangladesh on Monday, with four catches and a runout. Nepal restricted Bangladesh to 106, and was looking at a tough but doable chase at the end of the sixteenth — 30 off the last four at 7.5 runs an over.&nbsp; However, tight death bowling from Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman who went for one run and two wickets in overs 17 and 19 meant that Nepal was all out for 85. Kushal Malla scored 27. Sompal Kami, Airee, Paudel and Sandeep Lamichhane picked up two wickets apiece. “Dipendra Singh Airee’s game is three-dimensional. He can win the game with the bat or the ball, or in the field,” observed Karki. Airee took six wickets across the three games and today he scored 25.&nbsp; Despite the results, Nepal has been The Story of the Tournament. The team showed it is just about ready to play in the Tests - the tradition-soaked five-day epics that are considered the summit of the sport.&nbsp; “To become a test-playing nation, you can’t just have talented players,” pointed out Rajbanshi. “There needs to be extensive domestic cricket infrastructure, government support, and stadiums that can host test matches.” There is progress: stadiums are being built in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Rupandehi and Morang. And Nepal is already planning to tour Afghanistan once the T20 World Cup is over.&nbsp; The tournament does not feel like a failure. It has roused sporting hope and given people a rare reason to feel good about the country.&nbsp; Throughout the tournament, there were some standout individual performances from the Nepali team. “I enjoyed the low-scoring thrillers,“ says Karki, who has played cricket his whole life and follows the Rhinos everywhere they play. “The end of the South Africa game was a complete rollercoaster. It was lovely to see battles between bat and ball.”&nbsp; South Africa is a top team, ranked fifth in the T20s. Nepal is at 18 on that list. Excellent bowling by Nepal held the Proteas to only 115 — a seemingly paltry score in the IPL era, where 180 is almost below par. At one point Nepal needed thirty to win and could have gone at a pace of less than a run a ball. Under tremendous pressure, with humiliating defeat looming, the South Africans bowled precisely, triggering a collapse in the Nepali lower order. &nbsp; With two required off the last ball, Ottneil Baartman hurled a high bouncer at Gulshan Jha that should have been called a wide. The ball carried to keeper Quinton de Kock. Jha was caught in confusion but as he saw Sompal Kami thundering towards his crease he had to sprint to the opposite end.&nbsp; The keeper threw the ball which hit Jha as he ran down the pitch. It ricocheted to a South African fielder, who ran the batter out and won the game. Jha seemed to cut his running abruptly short instead of diving to complete the game-tying run.&nbsp; The game against the Netherlands also went until the end, with the Netherlands eventually making 109 to Nepal’s 106 in 18.4 overs. Had the Nepali fielders held onto some crucial catches, they would have won.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240617150624_1882c727b1e05659d1cce4f6d056dd72707b05dab6d16dcedc17d9bcecb8ac25.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240617150624_1882c727b1e05659d1cce4f6d056dd72707b05dab6d16dcedc17d9bcecb8ac25" data-rendition-name="original" width="4096" height="2731" loading="lazy" alt="ICC T20"> <figcaption>Audience during the Nepal Vs The Netherlands match.</figcaption> </figure>  The Nepali batting order seemed to panic and lose control of the games, swinging wildly for boundaries when knocking the balls around for singles or doubles might have been the move. The bowling, on the other hand, was excellent. And pitches in the West Indies have always favored spin, which Nepal has plenty of.&nbsp; Captain Rohit Poudel hit 35 runs against the Netherlands. Aasif Sheikh scored 42 against South Africa, and Kushal Bhurtel unusually took four wickets in the same match.&nbsp; Leg-spinner Sandip Lamichhane is one of Nepal’s best bowlers, but 23-year old is fighting rape allegations in court back home for which he was ousted from the national team by Cricket Association Nepal(CAN).&nbsp; After being convicted by the Kathmandu District Court last month, Lamichhane took the case to the Patan High Court. He was acquitted shortly before the tournament, and put back in the squad. Then he had his US visa denied twice.&nbsp; But he joined his team in the Caribbean, and he got there in time for the games against Bangladesh and South Africa. He took two wickets against Bangladesh with googlies. Karki was disheartened at the support that Lamichhane got in the games and wished CAN had stuck more to the code of conduct which is all-important in cricket. “It didn’t matter to anyone what he had done,” he said.

Rhinos bowled over on a sticky wicket

Nepal has been selected for the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in the US and West Indies next year. Nepal reached the final of the Asia qualifier after defeating UAE by eight wickets in the semi-final at Mulpani Cricket Ground on Friday. The other finalist, Oman which defeated Bahrain, has also secured its berth at the World Cup. Nepal will play Oman in the finals, a repeat line-up from Thursday when the hosts lost to the Arab nation by a mere 5 runs.&nbsp; This is the second time Nepal has qualified for the World Cup for the second time, the first time being in 2014.&nbsp; On Friday’s semi-finals, Nepal was chasing the target of 135 runs set by the UAE which Nepal completed by just losing 2 wickets in 18.1 overs. Aasif Sheikh scored 63 runs in 50 balls, two of them sixes and six fours.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231103131156_c12a6a21c5a2a4ca29e32faa788245a15ecdc4ed388e740a7d6e29a6bd33e220.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231103131156_c12a6a21c5a2a4ca29e32faa788245a15ecdc4ed388e740a7d6e29a6bd33e220" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal in T20 Cricket World Cup"> <figcaption>Man of the match Aasif Sheikh.</figcaption> </figure>  Similarly, Rohit Paudel scored 35, Gulson scored 22 and Kushal Bhurtel 11 runs. Nilansh Keswani and Basil Hameed took one wicket each for UAE. UAE batted first and scored 134 for the loss of nine wickets. Vriitya Aravind scored 64, Muhammad Waseem 26, Alishan Sharafu 16 and Asif Khan 13 runs for UAE.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023110314114_f7abccc5f9a012e8c3fadc25d16a0a4370c3b3e5d4581f5bdd87c29582681a0f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023110314114_f7abccc5f9a012e8c3fadc25d16a0a4370c3b3e5d4581f5bdd87c29582681a0f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1536" height="1024" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal T20 Cricket World Cup"> <figcaption>UAE bowling during the game.</figcaption> </figure>  Before the semi-finals, Nepal defeated Hong Kong and Malaysia before losing to Oman. Two teams making it to the finals of the qualifiers will automatically be selected for the World Cup next year. &nbsp; The T20 World Cup 2024 is the ninth edition of the tournament since it started in 2007. Next year’s event will be the biggest yet with 20 nations participating. So far, 18 teams have been finalised. Africa qualifiers will decide the last two. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Nepal in T20 2024

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141124/636cfc579c7e80680e0a0b83jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="639"/><figcaption>Photo: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>Cricketing legend <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/i-am-not-leaving-cricket-i-will-still-play-for-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paras Khadka</a>'s decision last week to retire from international cricket and pursue ‘sport politics’ has disappointed fans, and spurred speculation about his future plans.“My journey as an international cricketer ends here but the cricket dreams for my country have just started,” Khadka wrote on Twitter on 3 August, leaving the door open to a potential administrative role in the sport that could elevate Nepal as a Test country.For many, Khadka stepping down came as a shock, and nearly a week after his announcement social media is still resonating with fans imploring him to play for a few more years, with some even urging him to be ‘Nepal’s Imran Khan’ and running for political office.<blockquote><a href="https://t.co/btB0k11Xqe">pic.twitter.com/btB0k11Xqe</a>— Paras Khadka (@paras77) <a href="https://twitter.com/paras77/status/1422372649783627777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote>Former captain Binod Das says Khadka has at least two more years left in his tank. “Had he chosen to stay on, Nepali cricket and the nation would have benefited greatly,” says Das.Khadka has previously stated that many other players and non-playing staff are contemplating retirement to work at the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), which has been plagued with scandals that cricketers like Khadka have blamed for Nepal lagging behind in the sport.Khadka is one of Nepal’s greatest cricketers, combining astute middle-order batting with a mixed bag of deceptive bowling. The anchor of an often-chaotic batting line-up, Khadka scored 315 runs in 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs), 799 runs in 33 Twenty-20 internationals and 1,497 runs in 44 first-class matches.Capable of bowling both off-spin and medium pace, Khadka also took nine wickets in ODIs, eight in T20s and 26 in first-class games. He holds the record with 15 other players of taking the most wickets, four, on ODI debut, a feat he achieved against the Netherlands in 2018.Nepal received five-year long <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-cricket-comes-of-age/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ODI status in 2018</a>, allowing it to go head-to-head against established international outfits like the Netherlands. However, political meddling in CAN and a subsequent ICC ban followed by the Covid-19 pandemic meant that only a handful of games have been played in three and a half years since.With just one-and-half years left on its membership, fixtures will come in thick and fast for the Nepali team. At such a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-ball-is-in-nepals-cricket-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">critical juncture</a>, losing their talismanic skipper will hurt the game.“He should not have stepped back at this time, without experienced heads like him in the pavilion, Nepali cricket is sure to suffer,” adds Das, claiming that Nepal’s ODI status itself may now be at risk.Despite the loss of a cricketing stalwart, there is also much to be gained from Khadka’s retirement. A player of Paras’ experience entering sports administration is bound to be constructive, says former chair of CAN Binay Raj Pandey.“How will Nepali cricket flourish if it is administered by people who don’t know their fours and sixes? Paras understands the game and the problems plaguing it, so CAN could do with a capable leader like him,” he adds.Khadka has time and again proven himself. Under his leadership, Nepali cricket has leapfrogged from International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division-5 minnows to narrowly missing out on the knockouts of the T20 World Cup, in just four years. His calm and calculated approach to the captaincy was credited as the driving force behind Nepal’s surge.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141124/636cfc5a9c7e80680e0a0b84jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675">Khadka’s reputation on the pitch will translate into results off it in an era where sports administration demands sectorial knowledge and technical expertise, explains Pandey. “Nepali cricket is desperate for managers and overseers who have cricketing nous and know-how.”The former national captain's on-field experience will be crucial in getting Nepal to play Test cricket, the most revered format of the game. This means Nepal will need concerted and transparent administration to supplement the conveyor belt of talent it produces.“Paras’ stunning credentials as a player and his undergrad degree in management will combine to contribute effectively heading into sports politics,” notes former CEO of CAN Bhawana Ghimire. “His first innings has finished, and the next one is just starting.”Ironically, Khadka has already been accused of playing politics in the past, as he used his considerable leverage within and outside the game to influence CAN office bearers.Under his insistence, in 2018 the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a case in the Special Court against 10 senior CAN officials, including then Chair Tanka Angbuhang, Vice Chairs Chatur Bahadur Chand and Binod Mainali and General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel. CAN’s membership to ICC was subsequently revoked.Chand returned to CAN as President when the investigation acquitted him, prompting Khadka to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/paras-resigns-as-cricket-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relinquish the national team captaincy </a>on 15 October 2019.Khadka has the skillset, passion and reputation as well a taste of Nepal’s cricket politics to propel him forward in the industry. All he needs is support to help implement his vision onto Nepali cricket.Says former chair of CAN Binay Raj Pandey: “He has excelled as a player, and so we must support and trust him in whatever path he pursues next.”Translated by Kaustubh Dhital from the <a href="https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/125341">Himal Khabar</a>.

Second innings for Nepal's captain

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5579c7e80680e096700jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"/><figcaption>Photo: ICC</figcaption></figure>It was the final of the 2018 ICC World Cricket League in Windhoek, and Nepal was in dire straits. Needing 195 runs to win, the team was down to its last wicket at 144.Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC then pulled off a heroic and historic last stand of 51 runs to snatch <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Nepal-Canada-cricket-victory-miracle%20,4187" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">victory from the jaws of defeat</a> (pictured above). They won the coveted One Day International (ODI) status,  and Nepal was in the same league as cricketing heavyweights England and India.“I was a proud coach witnessing history unfold,” recalls Jagat Tamata, who now coaches the Nepali women’s team. “I will never forget those incredible moments.”But three years after the miraculous win, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-cricket-comes-of-age/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali cricket’s meteoric progress</a> has hit a snag.Nepal is competing internationally in April after a 13-month pandemic-induced pause. Coaches and players alike have bemoaned the lack of international exposure, and its impacts on the game’s development.To be sure, there are age-old problems plaguing Nepali cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the country's cricketing body Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) from 2016 to 2019 for politicising the sport.Corruption and infighting is rampant within governing bodies but crumbling sports infrastructure has not been able to support local talent either.“Unnecessary meddling is an obvious problem, but we are taking small steps to rectify that,” assures CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand. “With the backing of fans, media and sponsors, we hope to continue important tournaments and increase exposure.”One such tournament, the Everest Premier League, is due to resume in September 2021. Headlined by marquee players like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/i-am-not-leaving-cricket-i-will-still-play-for-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">former national captain Paras Khadka</a> and New Zealand pinch-hitter Corey Anderson, the tournament is expected to usher in a new era of fast, exciting and competitive cricket to the country.The sudden rise of cricket in Nepal has transformed the game from an elite pastime to a beloved sport of millions of fans. Imported from Britain in the late 1940s, cricket was first played on four pitches across Tundikhel. CAN was set up in 1946, and soon tournaments under Rana patronage (pictured below) attracted established players from India.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5599c7e80680e096701jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="939"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“We first started out at Tundikhel, then fanned out to every empty space available,” recalls former cricketer Raju Basnyat. “Cricket really took off once the Tribhuvan University turf ground was completed.”Towards the end of Panchayat, the Royal Nepal Army restricted access to the grounds. Tournaments were cancelled and cricketers started fading into obscurity as international exposure decreased.Cricket made a comeback with Nepal’s first-ever international tournament, the 1996 ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Trophy in Malaysia.  Captain Uttam Karmacharya recalls: “We were excited and nervous, and unsure if we could compete. But as a whole we performed well, as we beat Brunei and Japan and narrowly lost out to Bangladesh, Fiji and Hong Kong.”Nepal’s increasing potential was rewarded with hosting rights for the 1998 ACC Trophy. With no proper cricket ground available, the ACC aided the construction of ground in Pulchok Engineering Campus, St Xaviers’ School and Tribhuvan University, which was soon leased by CAN. This helped raise professionalism in the sport.But while the team performance improved, the system and infrastructure remained primitive. Players had no multi-day match experience, the domestic season was not long enough, and junior cricket had no school tournaments.Despite failings, youth teams propelled Nepal onto the international cricket scene. The country progressed to the second round of the Under-19 World Cup in 2000 and qualified for four successive editions, beating star-studded teams along the way.“Defeating established teams like New Zealand and South Africa are moments I will always cherish,” says current national team Captain Gyanendra Malla. However, Nepal’s performance over the 2012 and 2014 editions were disappointing.“While Test cricket-playing nations get better, we remain static," explains Malla. "We have to make the base strong before expecting results at the senior level."<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce55c9c7e80680e096702jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1265"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Nevertheless, Nepali cricket has improved significantly over the last decade. Under the tutelage of noted Sri Lankan coaches Pubudu Dassanayake and Roy Dias, Nepal jumped from lowly minnows to just missing out on the Twenty-20 World Cup knockouts in 2014. Another celebrated coach, Aussie Dav Whatmore, has recently been appointed head coach, much to the delight of fans and team members.The next logical goal is achieving Test-cricket status--the most revered format of the game.Nepali cricket has all the ingredients to get there. A conveyor belt of young talent, a wealth of experience and passionate fans must now be supported by a system focused on rebuilding infrastructure and keeping politics and corruption off the cricketing pitch.Says Jagat Tamata: “Coaches cannot perform miracles. The fans have their hearts in the right place, but a supportive cricketing system must be in place.”Watch Saglo Samaj tv magazine program every Monday at 8:30pm on DishHome Channel 130.

The ball is in Nepal’s cricket court

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141156/636a60699c7e80680e056e7bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1080"/>Paras Khadka has stepped down as the captain of Nepal’s national cricket team, making the abrupt announcement via a Twitter post on 15 October, shocking many. It came a day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) restored Nepal’s membership by provisionally lifting a ban on the Nepal Cricket Council (CAN).Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/paras-resigns-as-cricket-captain/">Paras resigns as cricket captain</a>Khadka debuted in the senior team in 2004 and was appointed captain in 2009, when he was just 22. From winning the Division 5 title in 2010 to gaining ODI status in 2018, Khadka has been a constant guide to the team throughout ICC suspension. Excerpts from his press conference:What is the reason behind your sudden resignation?It was not sudden. I was waiting for the ban to lift.Who will be the new captain?That is not my decision to make — it is up to CAN officials and the coach. My captainship was not the reason Nepali cricket got where it is today. The next captain should be chosen in the interest of Nepali cricket.How do you critique your skippership?I am quite satisfied. I received support from the team and coaches.Why did you decide to resign now?I felt it was the right time to have new leadership. Now we have to work towards making Nepal a test nation.What are your plans now?As a captain I was also a selector and a mentor, so I would like to take a break from that. But I’m not leaving cricket. I still wish to play for Nepal.So you are not resigning over a disagreement with the new CAN leadership?No, I have not even spoken with them for 3-4 years. CAN has to prioritise cricket and players.We should move forward with a new leader, new structure and new strategy. I will do what I can.Was it easy to resign?It was not difficult. Whoever the new captain is, he will have my full support.Will Paras miss cricket or will cricket miss Paras?I won’t be missing cricket. I will be involved one way or another. But I don’t know if cricket will miss me. Sachin Tendulkar was the rage yesterday, today it is Virat Kohli. We got here with hard work but that is not sufficient anymore. The cricket board has funds, but if the players aren’t safe or capable, it won’t mean a thing.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/miracles-happen/">Miracles happen,</a> Marty Logan<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-cricket-comes-of-age/">Nepali cricket comes of age</a>, Santa Gaha MagarLastly, who should be the captain of the Nepali cricket team?Dipendra was vice captain in the last tour, but Gyanendra Malla is more senior. The decision depends on CAN.

“I am not leaving cricket, I will still play for Nepal”

<img width="1042" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141156/636a60389c7e80680e056e6ajpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Paras Khadka has stepped down as the captain of Nepal’s national cricket team, making the announcement via a Twitter post on 15 October. The resignation comes a day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) restored Nepal's membership by provisionally lifting a ban on Nepal Cricket Council (CAN)."Great to know that the suspension of Nepal cricket has been lifted and would like to wish the new committee to work for the betterment of Nepal cricket, players and its stake holders," wrote Khadka in his social media post.    <img width="624" height="509" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141156/636a603b9c7e80680e056e6bjpeg.jpg" alt="">However, Khadka seems to have made the announcement without consulting CAN officials, raising suspicion that all was not well in his relationship with the cricket governing body. The newly-elected chairperson of CAN Chatur Bahadur Chand and General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel  said they had no information of Khadka's decision prior to the public tweet."There was no consultation. In fact I'm finding about it through media," said Chand.Added Pyakurel: "I heard he resigned via social media. We do not know if it is official or not. Once there is an official resignation then there would be further steps."Read also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-cricket-comes-of-age/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepali cricket comes of age</a>, Santa Gaha Magar<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/miracles-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miracles happen</a>, Marty LoganKhadka debuted in the senior team in the year 2004 and was appointed captain in 2009 when he was just 22. Immediately under his captainship, Nepal won ICC World Cricket League Division 5 for the first time. Since getting ODI status in 2018, Nepal has played 6 matches, win-loss record of 3-3. Of the 28 international T20 matches, he was captained 27 with win and loss record at 12-14.Khadka is the most celebrated and the most successful player in the history of cricket in Nepal.

Paras resigns as cricket captain

<figure><img width="1400" height="1129" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811110/636a29249c7e80680e0458acjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Diwakar Chettri</figcaption></figure>While a debate about equal citizenship rights for women raged in Parliament this week, single women who survived the earthquake are quietly and bravely struggling against deep-rooted patriarchy to rebuild homes and carrying on with their lives.On International Women’s Day, this illustration by Diwakar Chhetri shows where Nepali women are today: their responsibilities have increased and so have their capacities and achievements. But they continue to face impediments from all sides, most glaringly from the state.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/staying-alive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Staying alive</a>, Sewa Bhattarai<a style="background-color: #ffffff; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepals-better-halves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal's better halves</a>, Anil ChitrakarSince the mid-1990s female literacy in Nepal has doubled, and this has brought far-reaching changes that have ultimately empowered women. Employment and property ownership rates, and maternal and neonatal health have dramatically improved – all because women were more aware about health and rights.There has also been progress in politics, the economy, and sports. Not so long ago, the Chief Justice, Speaker of the Parliament and President of Nepal were all women and at the same time. We have also had one of the most inclusive parliaments in history in terms of gender. Most municipalities in Nepal have proactive female deputy mayors.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-house-for-the-nepali-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The house for the Nepali family</a>, Sewa Bhattarai<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/making-gods-for-a-living/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Making gods for a living</a>, Sonia Awale<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/surviving-the-aftermath/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Surviving the aftermath</a>, Sonam Choeyki Lama<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/staying-positive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Staying positive</a>, Sewa Bhattarai Nepal’s National Women Cricket team returned home this week after clinching second position in the World Cup Asia Region Qualifier in Thailand. Not long ago, our women’s blind cricket team won the First International Women’s Blind Cricket Series in Pakistan. Nepal’s women football team was second runner-up at the Gold Cup in India last month.The outflow of men for overseas work has had many consequences, and the most notable is the feminisation of rural Nepal. With the men away, women have taken charge both in their homes and communities. They have decision making power in the management of schools and health posts, in community forestry and irrigation. It won’t be too far-fetched to say that much of the credit for ground-level development, despite the absence of local government for 20 years, goes to women. And now that we have local governments it is women who are standing up to corrupt male counterparts in some municipalities.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kathmandus-past-for-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saving Kathmandu's past for future</a>, Sonia AwaleTo be sure, not everything is rosy. Juggling their dual roles of breadwinner and primary care givers in homes and raising children has increased their burden. This inequitable distribution of work is more prominent in urban areas where women have both careers and homes to make. Men and society in general have been slow to accept these changes, and see the economic benefits of shared responsibility at home and office.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/learning-about-teaching/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learning about teaching</a>, Prakriti KandelAmong survivors of the 2015 earthquake, women were more affected. There are an estimated 2,000 earthquake widows and 50,000 single women whose houses collapsed in the disaster. In lack of reliable support, reconstruction and survival has been more difficult for them as reported in this issue. But despite these shortcomings, women are going boldly forth where men have gone before in rebuilding lives and homes.We have produced some of the finest females doctors, pilots, engineers, artists, teachers and historians in the past few decades. But despite the fact that for the first time FNCCI is headed by a woman, and 80% of Nepal’s labour force is female (one of the highest proportions in the world) women continue to be restricted to ‘informal sectors’. Though there are higher numbers of women in politics today than ever before, there are still very few in leadership positions. Despite women heading all three organs of the government, the legislative, judiciary and executive at one point, there are still too few actual decision-makers to exert enough influence. This has led to situations like the current citizenship debate, where a male MP this week said providing citizenship to the children of rape victims will encourage rape.Clearly, higher literacy has not led to behaviour change among males in our conservative culture that sees women as an inferior gender. Given opportunity, women have proved themselves time and again and prevailed despite roadblocks and limitations. All they need now is a little help from institutions like the state and family to remove the obstacles that impede progress.

3/4th OF THE SKY

<h2>Despite government interference and neglect, Nepal's cricketers are going places</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101152/6368d6049c7e80680e03145djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1265"/>After a string of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Nepal-Canada-cricket-victory-miracle%20,4187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nail-biting performances</a> and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/nepali-cricket-crosses-boundaries,2090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">momentous achievements</a> the past few years, Nepali cricketers expected more encouragement and support from the government.But they were in for a rude shock: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/image/Open-defecation-free,276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavy government interference in the cricket</a> governing body prompted International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in 2016.The ICC ban meant that CAN did not have the legitimacy and financial resources to organise domestic leagues and tournaments, which are vital for scouting new talent for the national team. The ban also delayed several sports infrastructure projects.CAN’s General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel says: “The ban pushed Nepal’s cricket back by at least five years.”Despite that and a difficult two years in which skipper Paras Khadka and his team pulled off even more thrilling victories, ICC has finally hinted at lifting the suspension.After CAN agreed to endorse a statute approved by the ICC advisory board, the world cricket body has promised to revoke its decision under one condition: that CAN hold fresh elections under its new statute, effectively ensuring that the government will have no say in its functioning anymore.If the ICC recognises CAN again, Nepali cricket could enter what could be its golden age free from political interference. CAN’s former CEO Bhawana Ghimire says: “The time is ripe for Nepali cricket to strike it big, and it is up to us to remake its future.”Despite all odds, Nepali cricketers have in the last two years <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22777050/biggest-day-nepal-cricket-history-khadka" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned One Day International (ODI) status</a> with stellar performances, like in Namibia in February, which made headlines not just in Nepal but around the world.To help promote Nepal in the ICC Division 1 status, all-rounder Karan KC played an inning no cricketer had ever played before: as the last batsman standing, KC smashed 42 runs unbeaten off 36 deliveries, securing a one-wicket victory against Canada. ESPN described it as ‘one of the most miraculous endings to an ICC tournament at any level’.<a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22450512/cardiac-kids-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cardiac Kids from Nepal</a>, as Nepali cricketers were referred to by ESPN after the Namibia tour, travelled to Zimbabwe in March, hoping to qualify for the ICC World Cup. They failed after narrowly falling behind Afghanistan in the run-rate. But they did achieve ODI status till 2022.This international success and support seems to have put moral pressure on CAN’s political appointees to rethink and back off, paving the way for free and fair elections -- a prerequisite for lifting the ICC suspension.The success of Nepali cricketers has in fact spotlighted just how little the government had done to develop the sport. This bolstered the position of those in favour of amending the CAN statute and loosening the government’s grip.CAN General Secretary Pyakurel says: “Even those sabotaging CAN have now understood how important it is to have a strong governing body.”With CAN out of the picture, the private sector had come forward to organise successful domestic tournaments like Dhangadi Premier League (DPL) and Everest Premier League (EPL). Tv channels now pay more than Rs10 million for broadcast rights for each tournament.And for the first time, <a href="http://www.espn.in/cricket/story/_/id/22649032/meet-sandeep-lamichhane-nepal-17-year-old-legspin-prodigy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League (IPL) has bought a Nepali spinner Sandeep Lamichhane</a>. He is still struggling to make it to the playing set of the Delhi Daredevils, but he could open the door for other Nepali players in the world’s biggest cricket league.National cricket team coach Jagat Tamata, however, warns that Nepal could easily lose it all again: “We have a tendency to be overconfident and complacent after every major success. We have many more challenges to overcome.”Tamata thinks Nepali cricketers are still not experienced enough for international cricket due to the lack of strong opponents in domestic games.He adds: “If we want good results, there must be more tournaments so there is more choice. I am now mostly selecting the best from among the worst.”

Nepali cricket comes of age

One smoggy winter morning in February 2019, Ekta regretted coming to her sculpture class. It was the first day of her period, and the 19-year-old wished she was home, curled up in bed with a hot water bag to soothe her cramps.
Her class was at Kalapremi Ceramic Studio, a dark room on the ground floor of a house in Maharajganj, and Ekta’s teacher was the artist Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’, a noted sculptor.
Two other students were already there, using all their muscle strength to knead the sculpting clay. Ekta, now 24, recalls how Kalapremi asked her if she was feeling all right. She avoided him, as she did not want everyone to know she was menstruating.
Kalapremi repeatedly asked Ekta what was wrong. She finally muttered that she was having her period, after which he grabbed her hand and led her to a partitioned corner of the studio and sat her on a chair. Before she could stop him, he slid his hand under her dress, and started massaging her abdomen.
“I was horrified,” Ekta recalls. “I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen, asking me not to be shy, saying he knew how to relieve my pain. He stopped only after I protested furiously.”&nbsp;
The art tutor then said, “You’re like my daughter. I’m doing it out of love to make you feel better, but you’re so stubborn.”&nbsp;
“Instead of saying sorry he acted like I was the one having crazy thoughts,” remembers Ekta, adding that from April 2016 to August 2020 beginning the time she was 16, the artist sexually abused and harassed her on several occasions. &nbsp;
Now, Ekta and the artist’s other former students are finally sharing their experiences and some are pressing legal charges against him, hoping that others do not have to endure what they did.&nbsp;
Award-winning artist and teacher Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’ (the name means ‘Art Lover’) is known for his ceramic art, sculpture, and contemporary pottery. He was <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-house-of-kalapremi">profiled in Nepali Times after a collaborative exhibition</a>, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ at the Siddhartha Art Gallery three years ago.&nbsp;
His pieces, titled Gaalis, featured sculpted female figures with the heads of dogs, sheep, and donkeys (pictured) to depict derogatory terms for women. Some critics said the collection was a satire on feminists.
Kalapremi started his artistic and teaching career in 1983 and over the years taught at Bhanubhakta School, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Lalitkala Campus and at his private Kalapremi Ceramic Studio. He has also lectured at Jeonju University in South Korea and recently at Tabor Academy in the United States.
Seven of Kalapremi’s former students were interviewed for this story. Five female students said he touched them inappropriately in his studio or at Kathmandu University. Two male students said they witnessed him abuse and harass the women. In all cases, the students struggled to recognise the abuse when it occurred, and the lack of reporting systems left them to cope on their own for years.&nbsp;
Earlier this year, students shared a social media post hinting at Kalapremi’s history of abusive behaviour following which more students of the artist reached out sharing similar experiences. Some students spoke of abuse that happened as long as 20 years ago.
Kalapremi, 60, has denied the allegations. He told Nepali Times: “Some years ago, there was a movement encouraging people to hug and kiss. I used to do it purely out of friendship and love. But after seeing posts on social media last year calling out my behaviour, I realised my actions may have hurt some people. I understand now that I should have been more mindful.”
He added: “I am also an auxiliary health worker, so I know the exact points to massage to relieve menstrual pain. It’s not just menstruation, I take anyone who is ill to the hospital.”
Sexual abuse is much more rampant than reported given how difficult it is to prove it in court. The law defines sexual abuse as occuring when someone touches another’s private parts, coerces them into touching theirs, uses vulgar language, shows degrading images, or behaves indecently towards them without consent.&nbsp;
Ekta and her fellow students are consulting lawyer Suneeta Regmi Pokhrel, who says they know that even if the court decides in their favour, it is difficult to survive after speaking up, and influential men defend themselves saying they are being framed.&nbsp;
“They are in a lot of pain and weep when recalling how he abused them,” Regmi Pokhrel told us. “They are angry and have filed a case against him, but they are also terrified. They know he is a powerful man and they have seen how our society treats women who speak up against abusers. Unless people speak up, perpetrators will be emboldened.”
Art and academia in Nepal simply reflect the power imbalances in society where people with intersecting identities experience worse forms of abuse. Theatre actors Raj Kumar Pudasaini, Rajan Khatiwada, and Sunil Pokhrel were called out during the #MeToo movement in the Nepali theatre scene in 2019. Even after the allegations Pokhrel went on to receive national awards, while others continued to work without repercussions.
“If you speak up against abusers, you gradually get sidelined from projects,” explained a theatre artist who wished anonymity fearing professional setbacks. “The theatre scene in Nepal is quite small, you just have to make peace with the perpetrators and work with them if you want to sustain yourself.”&nbsp;
In academia there is a history of faculty members sexually harassing students and getting away with it. After Tribhuvan University (TU) lecturer Krishna Bhattachan was accused of harassing women students, the university said it would follow Nepal’s sexual harassment law and set up a reporting mechanism. But nothing happened to the professor, who had already retired. Instead, he counter-accused the students of 'attacking the indigenous people’s movement with baseless allegations' as <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/letters/2019/01/29/bhattachan-responds">he told the Kathmandu Post in 2019</a>. He continues to be featured as a prominent speaker including at TU.
Other faculty members previously accused of sexual harassment include Jagadish Murti Koirala from TU, Bishnu Prasad Acharya from Ratna Rajya Campus, and Bodha Raj Tripathee from Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya. A woman staff member from TU also filed a sexual abuse complaint against Dambar Chemjong from TU.
Prominent figures like <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-nims-purja">mountaineer Nims Purja</a> have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/sports/mountaineering-sexual-harassment-abuse-nims-purja.html">accused of sexual assault</a>, and cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, actor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/celebrity-rape-case-spotlights-nepal-laws">Paul Shah</a>, and former speaker of Parliament <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mahara-arrested">Krishna Bahadur Mahara</a> have been accused of rape, but society-at-large has let off the alleged perpetrators amdist a larger debate about justice for survivors and punishment of perpetrators.&nbsp;
‘Gaushala-26’ is the court name given to the 18-year-old who accused Sandeep Lamichhane, former captain of Nepal’s national cricket team and skipper of Biratnagar Kings in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/here-comes-the-nepal-premier-league">ongoing Nepal Premier League</a>, of rape. She left the country citing society questioning her character affecting her mental health while Lamichhane got an outpouring of support. In May, the Patan High Court overturned a prior verdict that found Lamichhane guilty of rape and had sentenced him to eight years in prison. During the 23-month legal battle to pursue justice, Gaushala-26 faced threats of gang rape and acid attacks.&nbsp;
Exhausted by the struggle, Gaushala-26 sought to “move to a new world” where she could live free without hiding her identity.
Actress Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah in an Instagram video now deleted detailed the harassment she faced from a filmmaker during a movie shoot. She did not name any name but veteran actor Bhuwan KC filed a defamation case against Rana, but the court ruled that the charge lacked sufficient evidence.&nbsp;
Former Kathmandu mayor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/theytoo">Keshav Sthapit also mocked the #MeToo movement</a>, calling accusations against him by journalists Rashmila Prajapati and Ujjwala Maharjan “a rape of men’s rights”.
Serial Abuse
Back at the Kalapremi Ceramics studio, another former student, 24-year-old Rajiv, says he felt the need to speak out after seeing his female classmates being abused.&nbsp;
“He frequently kissed them on their cheeks,” he told Nepali Times. “Whenever they walked into the studio he flailed his arms like a child asking for a hug. They awkwardly hugged him from the side, but he pulled them closer, held their chin, and kissed their cheeks.”&nbsp;
Rajiv says he also saw Kalapremi pull the women’s bra straps, touch their breasts, and slap their buttocks. The young students would freeze, not knowing how to react, and if they protested, he would say it was “normal in art”. Rajiv, 19 at the time like his classmates, remembers thinking perhaps the well-respected artist was right after all.
Another student, Luna, who took lessons at Kalapremi’s studio from 2020 to 2022 did try to confront the tutor after he made an obscene proposal to her. She recalls: “One day when the other students had left the studio and it was just the two of us, he told me that God had given him special artistic talent and he could transfer those powers to me. But to do that both of us will have to be naked, inside a dark room, and have sex.”
Luna, who was 18 then, was livid and told him she did not want any of his powers, but she says he laughed at her as if he was joking. She did not tell her family about the incident because she thought no one would believe her.&nbsp;
“They were all in awe of this famous artist and felt I should be grateful that to be learning sculpting from him,” she says. “I was scared to be alone with him in case he talked about sex again. My coping mechanism was to be rude so he wouldn’t try to come close to me.”
Seeing how some classmates were standing up to Kalapremi, Ekta too tried to push back against his advances, but she said he found ways to coerce her. Since Ekta, Rajiv, and Luna could not afford Kalapremi’s Rs30,000 monthly fee for lessons, he had offered them all a stipend to assist him in the studio.
“He had spondylosis and took me to his therapy sessions to learn massage techniques, then he often made me and other students massage him,” says Ekta. Whenever she refused, he would feign pain to make her feel sorry for him. “He would insist that I put my hands under his shirt so that I could massage him better,” she adds.
The art tutor often tried to “seduce sympathy” from Ekta by sharing how he had never been loved as a child and was “sexually frustrated” as an adult.&nbsp;
“At 7PM, he would pour himself Signature whiskey and immediately go off again about how he was sex-starved. I didn’t know how to respond. It took me time to realise alcohol was just an excuse to talk about sex,” Ekta says.
If convicted, Kalapremi could face financial penalty and/or a prison sentence of up to three years according to Section 224 of National Penal (Code) Act 2017.&nbsp;
Data suggests that victims of child sexual abuse on average take nearly 24 years to tell someone about their trauma, and some may never disclose it at all.&nbsp;
“In our culture, children are rarely taught about boundaries. They often react, show anger when adults pinch their cheeks. But adults insist they did it out of love, and force the children to accept it,” says Sita Lama, a psychotherapist at Manka Kura. “And even when someone touches them inappropriately they struggle to identify and verbalise it.”
When perpetrators claim to be “acting out of love”, Lama says survivors are likely to perceive it as something safe, rather than recognising it as abuse.&nbsp;
“It may take years for them to realise they were abused,” she explains. "And even when they become aware, the power imbalance with the abuser and the associated shame often prevents survivors from speaking up."
Other former students from the School of Art at Kathmandu University have also come forward years later, saying Kalapremi sexually abused them. As young adults, they felt his behaviour was off but were uncertain if it was inappropriate, illegal, or they did not know how to respond. After having understood that it was indeed abuse, they say they are speaking out now to protect others.&nbsp;
Amina Singh, a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University, says there is no clause against sexual abuse in contracts of teachers, and there is no formal grievance handling mechanism for the students.&nbsp;
“So the only way students can to deal with sexual abuse is approach someone they trust,” she says.
Eight other former art students of Lalit Kala Campus and Srijana College of Fine Arts of Tribhuvan University and other private art studios in Kathmandu say they were also sexually abused by their art teachers. Three faculty members interviewed from these institutions said they saw the abuse, but felt it was futile to report it given how powerful the teachers were.
In the absence of a formal system, some longtime women artists warned each other about “problematic” artists. They shared &nbsp;a “heads-up” to be more cautious when collaborating with them, and avoided responding to their calls and texts after work hours.
To ensure art institutions are safe for all, galleries, museums, artist studios, and smaller art spaces need to develop policies on sexual harassment. This would include a code of conduct or studio policies that hold the leadership accountable and outline the principles of professional ethics.&nbsp;
Students and employees should inquire about accountability mechanisms for raising concerns, both formally and informally, advocates say.
Three years after Ekta left the ceramics studio, she learnt that Kalapremi had harassed many other women. Still trying to get a footing in the art industry, she attended a workshop in Kathmandu where women artists discussed ways to stay safe in the art sector.&nbsp;
Since it was a close-knit group Ekta opened up about how she felt violated and realised she was not alone, he had been abusing underprivileged students for years, and this was common knowledge among artists in Nepal.
Ekta says that even after she quit, Kalapremi continued sending her text messages like ‘I am thinking of you’, ‘Why have you stopped speaking with me’, or ‘I am waiting for your call’.&nbsp;
But what really forced her to act was when Ekta found out that he was sending similar texts to her younger sister.&nbsp;
“I’ve had enough,” she told us. “He abused me all these years but I won’t let him abuse my sister.” &nbsp;
Ekta, Rajiv and Luna are not the real names of the students.&nbsp;

‘Art Lover’ accused of sexual abuse

It was 8:15 in the evening of 25 March 1968 when everyone in the village of Batulechaur near Pokhara heard a deafening sound like thunder as a bright flashing object hurtled down to land in a field.&nbsp; That field belonged to Kul Timilsina, and the next morning he retrieved a sheet of metal about 2m by 1m and carried it home with the help of a few others, thinking it would be useful for his buffalo shed.&nbsp; Before he died at age 83 three years ago, Timilsina had told photo archivist Sunil Ulak that the black metal sheet was not rectangular and had rounded corners. There are a few witnesses still alive who have a clear recollection of the object that fell from the sky that night.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="601" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>The field in Batulechaur belonging to Kul Timilsina where fragments of a flying object fell from the sky in 1968.</figcaption> </figure>  One of them is Timilsina’s wife Gyanu, who was 22 at the time. She had been at home, and remembers hearing the big bang and the sky becoming very bright. “We saw the thing in the field in the morning,” she told us. “It looked like a lid, a covering of some sort. The way it was stuck in the ground, it must have fallen from the sky. We thought we could use it to dry clothes on, and took it home.”&nbsp; Another witness is Kul Narayan Paudel. “I was only eight then. We ran to the field to see what had fallen. It was a four-sided metal sheet. The elders took it away, and I don't know what happened to it.” &nbsp; Ram Bahadur Baniya, a teacher at the local school, says he had heard the sheet had been brought to the school, and later handed over to the Zonal Commissioner at the time, Nanda Prasad Malla. “But that is all hearsay,” he says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="610" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Gyanu Timilsina, wife of Kul Timilsina.</figcaption> </figure>  There are two versions of what happened to Kul Timilsina’s metal sheet. One is that an American Peace Corp Volunteer teaching at the nearby Bindyabasini School took it, and another is that it was handed over to the government. Recently declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and US State Department documents from the time say that the US Embassy in Kathmandu tracked down the object two years later and had it shipped back to the US. A telegram from the Department of State and Department of Defense tagged as ‘MOON DUST / Space Fragments’ dated 1 March 1972 stated: ‘1. Restored space fragment will be on board Embassy support flight 115 arriving Kathmandu on or about March 10. Fragment is packed in shipping crate (cargo no. 72-33365) marked in care of DAO.&nbsp; 2. State and Defense representatives examined fragments prior to shipment finding restoration acceptable.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df" data-rendition-name="original" width="856" height="568" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Declassified CIA documents about the investigation into the object sighted in Pokhara. </figcaption> </figure>  The documents show that the US government, military and intelligence agencies investigated this incident thoroughly when it occurred, and have continued to revisit it ever since, as recently as five years ago. What is even more intriguing is that the object that fell in Pokhara was not the only unidentified space object that fell to earth that year. There were similar sightings of objects falling from the sky in Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan between 19 February and 25 March 1968.&nbsp; These mysteries were the subject of a CIA investigation in 1968 titled ‘<a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP81R00560R000100070007-8.pdf">Sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects in Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan</a>’, and the report is part of the recent online declassification of 800,000 top-secret documents from the period.&nbsp; &nbsp;Although unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have a connotation now of being alien craft, it could be pieces of satellite, missile, rocket or even aircraft. The CIA report documents six sightings in 1968 and quotes local sources as describing all of them having similar characteristics: bright blue or red streaks in the sky accompanied by loud sounds like lightning and thunder and objects falling to the ground. Aside from the metallic object that was found in Batlechaur, there were other items also found nearby in Tallakot, Tureypasal, Armalakot and Maidan. Whatever the object was, it seems to have disintegrated even before it hit the ground.&nbsp; The CIA report records the first sighting on 19 February 1968 in various parts of Sikkim and Olangchung Gola and Ghunsa in eastern Nepal. The light was said to be ‘long and thin’ and giving out ‘green and red light’. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb" data-rendition-name="original" width="892" height="596" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara "> </figure>  Two days later on 21 February, a soundless blue object was seen traveling fast across the sky above Thimphu in Bhutan. Then on 4 March there were multiple daytime sightings or white streaks in the sky at Chang La Pass, Fukche and Koyul in Ladakh. There were more sightings in Ladakh on the very day fragments fell near Pokhara on 25 March 1968.&nbsp; After the sightings in Pokhara, rumours started flying in Kathmandu that these were aliens trying to land on Earth, it could be Russian or Chinese spy planes or satellites, and some even say it as a sign from heaven that the end of the world was near. This was at the height of the Cold War. The Russians and Americans were testing their thermonuclear devices as well as intercontinental ballistic missile delivery systems. The Washington-Beijing rapprochement had not yet happened, and China was making quick progress testing atomic bombs. Within two years after its first atomic test, in 1966 China exploded its first hydrogen bomb at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang, 3,000km to the north from Nepal. After neary six decades, what is still intriguing is that all the sightings within a few months of each other in 1968 were along the Himalayan arc bordering Tibet: from Bhutan, Sikkim Nepal, to Ladakh. The US military intelligence seems to have concluded that this was not a coincidence and there were frequent research trips to the site in Pokhara by American officials in the months after the incident. With the help of the Royal Nepal Army, the region north of Pokhara was thoroughly searched.&nbsp; A confidential memo dated 25 June 1968 by Jerry C Trippy to a ‘Mr Farley’ mentions that the US Air Force’s Foreign Technology Division had decided that the debris could be important because it may be related to a Chinese missile test or a Soviet ‘Vehicle Venik’ rocket.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  On 28 August 1968 the US Embassy in Kathmandu sent a letter to Washington DC saying that the object could be of Soviet origin, possibly from when the rocket carrying the ‘Kosmos 208’ satellite re-entered the atmosphere. But why were the fragments falling to earth several weeks apart, and in the same region? No one knows where the metal sheet that Kul Timilsina recovered is now. It was definitely packed in a crate and taken to the US, and although it is rumoured that it was returned that is not very likely. Archivist Sunil Ulak heard from the Timilsina family that CIA officials had returned to the site five years ago. &nbsp; Interest in UFOs peaked in the US in the 1950s, with the Cold War space race and tests of atomic weapons and delivery rockets. CIA and scientists were being sent to investigate sightings, both publicly and privately. Could the Pokhara fragments as well as the sightings in Ladakh and Bhutan actually be alien craft falling to earth? The renewal in interest in space travel in large part due to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, UFOs and sightings are again subjects of public interest.&nbsp; Even 57 years later, even if there was definitive proof about whether the Batlechaur fragment was from a Chinese missile or a soviet rocket, it has not been made public in documents declassified so far. We may never know.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598" data-rendition-name="original" width="642" height="320" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  Sunil Ulak speculates if the debris actually came from an American aircraft, perhaps on an intel mission upon China. “Which could explain why they were so thorough in collecting the fragments in Pokhara,” he says. But that still does not explain the multiple sightings weeks apart in 1968.&nbsp; Indeed, US military aircraft were at that time flying frequent night-time missions from air force bases in India to supply weapons to Khampa guerrilla camps in Nepal located north of Pokhara in Mustang. It could very well be that the Chinese shot down one such aircraft. The other sightings could have been contrails of US spy planes, or Chinese anti-aircraft missiles.&nbsp; There were quite a few developments regarding UFOs in 2024. In a US congressional hearing in July, former intelligence officer David Grusch claimed that the government had long been involved in a program to investigate and retrieve non-human craft crashes, and then try to reverse engineer them. However Grusch did not show any evidence.&nbsp; The UAP Disclosure Act of 2024 was signed into law by Joe Biden in December 2023. It plans to oversee the public disclosure of UFO information. However, there is a clause in it that prevents disclosure if it would cause threats to military defense, intelligence operations or foreign relations.&nbsp; It is unlikely that the declassified documents about sightings in the Himalayan will cause any real surprise about definite evidence of alien life even if it was found. It seems humanity will continue, at least for now, to wonder about curious lights in the sky and whether there is anybody out there.&nbsp;

UFO over Pokhara

When Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Rabi Lamichhane was arrested in October on charges of defrauding depositors of cooperatives, the party’s vice president Swarnim Wagle gifted him Fareed Zakaria’s book, Age of Revolutions.
Since then, Lamichhane has been shunted around from Kathmandu to Pokhara to Chitwan and back to Pokhara to attend police investigations and court proceedings. He was being flown to Birganj via Kathmandu on Buddha Air on Monday. There is another pending case in Janakpur.
Human rights groups and civil society have criticised the government for hounding Lamichhane with inhumane treatment that borders on physical torture. The two parties in the coalition, Nepali Congress (NC) and the UML, see Lamichhane’s RSP as a potentially formidable challenge to their power.
Even if the fraud charges against Lamichhane are true, the Nepali public is increasingly looking at the government’s actions through the police and courts as political vendetta.
Despite all the travelling, sometimes by plane and often by road at night, Lamichhane appears to be in high spirits, waving to supporters who often gather if they know he is going to be driven around. A social media video shows him giving high fives to fellow passengers on a recent flight to Pokhara.&nbsp;
In the past weeks, streets in Pokhara have erupted with parallel protests by Lamichhane’s supporters as well as depositors of cooperatives who lost their savings to the scam.&nbsp;
Although family visits are allowed, prison officials in Pokhara told Nepali Times that not many people visit Lamichhane these days. He added, “When he does get visitors, he asks them to bring him books.”
Lamichhane is currently Nepal’s most high-profile public figure in custody, and highlights the stark difference between how influential prisoners are treated compared to ordinary inmates.
There are six prison cells at Kaski District Police Office’s two-story detention centre, three on each floor. And while authorities pack prisoners into already overcrowded cells, Lamichhane has an entire room on the second floor to himself.&nbsp;
He has also been allowed to call his family every few days. Other prisoners are not permitted phone calls except for emergencies.
Meanwhile, Lamichhane’s former business partner Chhabilal Joshi, an ex-Deputy Inspector General of Police with whom he established his Gorkha Media Network, is in custody under the same charges in the prison cell next to him.
Lamichhane is accused of siphoning off depositors' money to the tv network in which he was part-owner and anchor. &nbsp;
Both Lamichhane and Joshi are able to buy food from the police canteen instead of being served the regular meal like other prisoners. Joshi has also given his statement to authorities in Rupandehi and Kathmandu for his alleged role in the scam. Lamichhane is yet to be presented in Kathmandu for questioning.
While he was in custody at the Kathmandu District Police Complex, Joshi expressed his desire to sleep in a police officer’s office, reportedly assuring authorities that he would not run away and he was entitled to certain facilities as a former officer of the law.
“He seemed to be under the impression that he is still a police officer,” says a source at the Kathmandu District Police. “We made it clear to him that as someone accused of a crime, he was not entitled to special treatment.”
Former ministers Balkrishna Khand and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and ex-home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, who were arrested in connection with the fake refugee scam last year, were similarly housed in the offices of law enforcement officials instead of prison cells. Khand has since been released after six months in jail.
While there is no legal provision to keep high-ranking officials in separate detention centres when they are arrested, authorities granting them special facilities is not uncommon. Law enforcement officials say VIP detainees expect preferential treatment while in police custody.
Among those is former Kosi Province minister Lila Ballav Adhikari, who was arrested from Biratnagar on 10 November over his alleged involvement in human trafficking and brought to Kathmandu. Adhikari had flown to Japan without government approval with three individuals on 29 October to attend a cultural conference, but had been sent back to Nepal from Narita.&nbsp;
His three companions were arrested at Kathmandu airport upon their arrival, but Adhikari was able to exit unscathed from the VIP lounge. Adhikari had resigned as the Kosi Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law when it became public that his companions had been taken into custody, and was himself arrested shortly after. He has since been cleared by the courts.
Throughout his detention, Adhikari was kept separately from other inmates. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basant Rajouri, head of the Bhadrakali complex, says that while there is no separate detention area for VIPs, some detainees are kept separately depending on the nature of their crime.
However, sources say that arrangements were made for retired judges and others to visit Adhikari frequently worked at the office of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) during his time in custody.&nbsp;
“He used to constantly pester the authorities to let him sit outside in the sun, and to be able to use the police officer’s shower area,” added an officer.
Adhikari was released on 25 November after the government prosecutor’s office decided not to charge him in a move that was seen to expose the government’s double standards.
Over at Kathmandu’s Dilli Bazar Prison, former Kist Bank CEO Kamal Gyawali emerges from his prison cell into the courtyard of the prison’s ‘Ka (क)’ block every morning with a thick book in his hands, ready to give his daily sermon.
With his long beard, Gyawali, who is serving a prison sentence for banking fraud, looks the part of a religious guru as he implores his rapt listeners to “walk the right path, abandon bad thoughts and turn to scripture and spirituality”.&nbsp;
Afterward, the attendees gather to discuss politics and current affairs. Inmates at his daily sermons at the prison include other high-profile detainees, including former MP Ichchha Raj Tamang, who is in jail for money laundering and cooperatives fraud, former joint secretary Chudamani Sharma, who was convicted of corruption, as well as NC leader Chandra Bahadur Lama and Krishna Bahadur Upreti of the UML both of whom are on trial for embezzling billions of rupees.
Victims of the cooperatives scam that former lawmaker Tamang was involved in have made trips to the prison and requested visits, but he has refused to meet with any of them.
“Tamang often complains that the state has prevented him from returning the money to the victims by locking him up,” says a police officer at the Dili Bazar jail.
“All you hear every day from the VIP prisoners is that they have been framed,” adds the officer. “No one admits that they were involved in misdeeds.”
But while most high-profile prisoners complain about prison conditions, one exception is former provincial lawmaker Deepak Manange, who is serving a sentence at Dilli Bazar Jail for attempted murder.
“He is the happiest prisoner here,” says a warden. “Unlike the others, he doesn’t claim to have been framed, in fact he doesn’t seem to care that he is in prison.”
Manange is detained in the ‘Kha (ख)’ block of the prison complex, which he renovated at his own expense. The block previously housed female prisoners, but Manange used his influence to transfer them elsewhere. He faces no shortage of visitors, who range from political leaders to people from the underworld.
Along with Manange, other well-known prisoners in this block include Nepal Telecom Managing Director Sunil Poudel, and former executive director of the Surakshan Printing Centre Bikal Poudel, who are serving time for corruption.
Former prisoners at Dilli Bazar prison include ex-ministers Khum Bahadur Khadka and Shyam Sundar Gupta, NC leader Ganesh Lama, Maoist MP Balkrishna Dhungel, Nagarik Unmukti Party leader Resham Chaudhary, as well as former IGs Ramesh Chand Thakuri, Om Bikram Rana, and Hem Bahadur Gurung.
Section 54 of Nepal’s Prison Act assigns each prison’s internal administration the
responsibility of governing its prisoners, which means the more favourable the jail management is, the more comfortable it is for prisoners.
Dilli Bazar prison has been the prison of choice for many high-ranking prisoners, especially those convicted of white collar crimes, due to its more accommodating administrators. The prison, which has the capacity to house 700 inmates, is also less crowded than other jails.
Anuj Bhattarai, spokesperson of the Department of Prison Management, says that there is no legal classification in Nepal for felons to be assigned prisons based on the nature of their crimes.
“That Dilli Bazar Jail has a higher number of prisoners convicted of crimes like corruption is most likely a coincidence,” says Bhattarai. “There is no provision for influential people to be able to choose where they will be incarcerated.”&nbsp;
Translated by Shristi Karki from the Nepali original published in himalkhabar.com

What Nepal’s VIP prisoners do in jail

As soon as she milks her cow, 52-year-old Punam B K is off, pedaling her bicycle furiously along the highway with a blue milk can in the front basket.&nbsp; By the time she arrives at the Jaya Shiva Ganesh Dairy Producers Cooperative in Gopalganj village, others are already there, their bicycles parked on the roadside. The farmers are all holding on to their blue milk cans, and are chatting away.&nbsp; “We keep what is needed for the family, and sell whatever remains here at the cooperative,” says B K, as the volume, fat and non-fat solid content of her milk is measured. It is then poured into a bigger vat to be mixed with milk from other farmers. B K collects her receipt with the value of her milk, and prepares to head home. The farmers are reimbursed on a quarterly basis.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-family-that-works-together-stays-together">A family that works together stays together</a>, Sahina Shrestha “Everyone around here has at least a cow or buffalo to provide milk for the family, the cowdung is used for fertiliser, and we can bring whatever is left over to the cooperative,” says B K who, like the others, brings her milk by bicycle twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241210081232_0df32c0f6a572aef83eca02dc7a86f75ea5dbc88dc6c2390d42a44ab3cc93395.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241210081232_0df32c0f6a572aef83eca02dc7a86f75ea5dbc88dc6c2390d42a44ab3cc93395" data-rendition-name="original" width="1700" height="1275" loading="lazy" alt="dairy farmers in Chitwan"> </figure>  All this may seem like nothing special, just an ordinary farmer selling her milk. But it has to be seen in the context of dairy farmers overcoming subsistence and increasing household income. Nearly 200,000 dairy farmers from over 1,200 cooperatives have not been paid by the government-run DDC for their milk for a year or more.&nbsp; The DDC has fixed a quota for buying milk from cooperatives that limits production even during the peak winter months. Farmers in Chitwan are so fed up, they have staged demonstrations in Kathmandu and even poured milk on the East-West Highway in protest.&nbsp; Punam B K’s milk ends up in Bhawani Dairy, a milk processing plant in Chitwan that buys milk from various cooperatives in the district. It was established six years ago by three entrepreneur cousins Devrath Baral, Drishya Baral and Subash Paudel and is now being supported by the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) project.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241210081232_4e3c65390b9c5345f807b10cbb8c36b006ef6d3cb972e07b5067f4b2db2be32e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241210081232_4e3c65390b9c5345f807b10cbb8c36b006ef6d3cb972e07b5067f4b2db2be32e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1102" loading="lazy" alt="dairy farmers in Chitwan"> </figure>  This UK-funded project implemented by Swisscontact in Nepal has been supporting agro-businesses in 23 countries in Asia and Africa. They focus on improving the capacity of private dairy and vegetable farmers to find markets and build a sustainable supply chain for their produce. It helps dairies like the one in Chitwan with branding and marketing, as well to track business through a Dairy Management System (DMS) digital database.&nbsp; Bhawani Dairy also got support to conduct orientation for cooperative farmers to learn about new ways to boost productivity with breeding, cowshed management and hygiene maintenance. Many commercial farmers in Chitwan, some with up to 60 cows and buffaloes, have benefited.&nbsp; B K says she only has six cows, so not everything she hears at the orientation about increasing cowshed area is applicable. “We are just happy our milk is not wasted, and we can earn some cash from the surplus,” she says.&nbsp; Bhawani Dairy’s clientele is based entirely in Chitwan and in towns along the East-West Highway. But building on its success here, the company is looking to expand nationwide and target the Kathmandu market. Being a perishable product, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/so-far-so-good/nepal-s-milk-heartland-rebounds">diary business is challenging</a>. Businesses also need investment and technical support to diversify into value-added milk products like cheese, yoghurt, ice cream or powdered milk.&nbsp; “For now, the best thing we as a dairy business can do for farmers is to buy their milk at a decent price and pay them in time,” says Drishya Baral of Bhawani Dairy.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241210081232_6c06efb5674dbcd8679015af543bfda87030755383a13c9269e272af28e85953.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241210081232_6c06efb5674dbcd8679015af543bfda87030755383a13c9269e272af28e85953" data-rendition-name="original" width="1700" height="1275" loading="lazy" alt="dairy farmers in Chitwan"> </figure>  Another agro-industry supported by CASA since 2018 is Himalayan Supervores, a venture that sources farm produce to supply vegetables and other foods to restaurants and hotels in the city, and even export Halal-certified produce to Gulf countries.&nbsp; CASA helped with cold chain management system to keep vegetable produce fresh so that the products earn trust about quality in the national and international market. Himalayan Supervores is already exporting to UAE and Qatar, and is targeting other Gulf countries next. “The guidance provided by the international expert was invaluable, we could not have bought that knowledge even with money,” says Nelson Shrestha of Himalayan Supervores. “It was not about fancy hardware, but how to minimise wastage, increase productivity, save time and money.”&nbsp; Though Himalayan Supervores collects vegetables from vegetable cooperatives, it indirectly works with a network of thousands of cooperative farmers. Its catchment area therefore is enormous, and it has enhanced their knowledge about organic farming methods, bio-pesticides, and the right way to handle and package vegetables. CASA’s most recent tie-up is with Pokhara-based Poshilo Foods, which specialises in increasing the shelf-life of local nutritional food items. During the Covid lockdown <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p3bparajuli/">Prithwi Kallyan Parajuli</a> saw an opportunity to supply nutritional foods that stayed longer, and set up Poshilo.&nbsp; It took traditional satu flour made from dry-roasted pulse, added more nutrients, and packaged it. Four flavours of satu with nutrient values differentiated for various age groups now line the shelves of supermarket chains like KK Mart, Saleways. Poshilo is now exploring the export market in India.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241210081232_a8dbea8c8d45ac4eff6c37fb47da7ff461989c662ba86d207a008381101acdcf.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20241210081232_a8dbea8c8d45ac4eff6c37fb47da7ff461989c662ba86d207a008381101acdcf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1700" height="1275" loading="lazy" alt="dairy farmers in Chitwan"> </figure>  In the five years of helping Nepali agribusinesses, CASA has already teamed up with 35 established companies. Parajuli heaps fulsome praise on the catalytic support and guidance he got early on, not just for product design, but to explore market viability, branding and marketing.&nbsp; He has participated in government-led programs before, but says those are one-off and focus only on technical solutions and do not pay much attention to the important back-end work with management and sales.&nbsp; Says Devrath Baral of Bhawani Dairy in Chitwan: “We would probably have eventually got to where we are now, but it would have taken years longer without CASA. And now we can share our experience with other agribusinesses in Nepal.”

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