<figure><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d5c9c7e80680e06b347jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>The usually bustling beaches of the resorts in the Maldives wear a deserted look.</figcaption></figure>Ninety percent of Nepal’s overseas contract workers are in West Asia and Malaysia, but there are other countries like the Maldives where the estimated 5-10,000 Nepalis employed in the tourism industry have been affected by the global pandemic.The resorts of this atoll archipelago nation have been increasingly popular for Nepali workers, who have built a strong reputation for work ethics there. Last year alone 2,000 Nepali workers left of the Maldives, nearly four times more than in 2015, to work in hotels and as housemaids. But some of these jobs are in jeopardy because of the pandemic. Of the 191 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Maldives, over 102 are foreigners including 84 Bangladeshis and 10 Indians. Nepalis have so far been spared, but there is a fear they could be vulnerable because of cramped living conditions. “Overall, Nepalis have created a favorable impression in the Maldives, but tourism has collapsed because of the coronavirus and Nepali workers have been affected,” says Rita, who has been working in the Maldives for four years, and only wanted her first name used. <figure><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d609c7e80680e06b348jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Deserted streets in the Maldivian capital, Malé, which is in lockdown. </figcaption></figure>Similar to Nepal, Maldives also set a target for attracting 2 million tourists in 2020, in what seemed like an achievable goal given that 1.7 million tourists visited the country in the preceding year. Tourism makes up two-thirds of the GDP of the Maldives and brought in $2.5 billion last year.Maldives has a per capita GDP of $10,330 – highest in the region and ten times higher than Nepal. But the World Bank predicts that it is the South Asian country that will be most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The Maldivian government hopes to start issuing visas on arrival by July, but even in the best-case scenario it expects arrivals to drop by half in 2020. A Nepali worker at a luxury resort told us over the phone that the Maldivian government has assured foreign workers that they will be treated on par with locals, and indeed employers were providing food and accommodation to them in the resorts which is a huge relief. However, he added: “But some staff are not getting paid, while others are only getting partial salary and this has worried some workers.” <img width="1008" height="490" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d649c7e80680e06b349jpeg.jpg" alt="">Some hotels have told workers they should go home on unpaid leave until the tourism industry bounces back. In a survey by the Nepali community, 319 have expressed the desire to go back to Nepal paying for their own tickets. But there may be more who want to return if the Nepal government eases travel restrictions.“We came here to work. Without tourism, there is no work here. Without work, there is no point staying here,” says Rita, who is getting half her salary and spends the day surfing the net. “But I am also aware that my situation could have been much worse.”Another Nepali resort worker agrees: “We have access to room and board and 30% of our salary. Why should we stay here when we don’t have work and it is evident that tourism is going to remain affected for a while?”Workers are worried that things will get worse in the Maldives if tourism is affected for many more months with disruptions in food supplies. They are far away from Malé and say it may be difficult get transportation if they get sick. The focus in the Maldives is mostly on Bangladeshis who number 100,000 and make up a bulk of migrant workers there. They are mostly in Malé, and because there is a higher risk of being infected the government is relocating them to decongest the city. The Bangladesh government recently sent 100 tons of equipment and 10 medical personnel to treat its nationals.  <figure><img width="3400" height="2400" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d679c7e80680e06b34ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Source: OUR WORLD IN DATA</figcaption></figure>Seven Nepalis working as security guards at a resort who were sent to Malé, have had to fend for themselves in an expensive city. One of them, who identified himself as Ram, told us over the phone: “It costs $50 a night to stay here, and the Nepali community has been helping out with meals. But how long can we go on? What if the lockdown is prolonged?”Attempts to reach the Nepal Embassy in Colombo has not led to any solution. Nepali community leaders in Malé say that the need for a resident embassy or at least a consulate is felt most acutely during a crisis like this.It is likely that countries like Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius which have Nepali workers in the service industry will not get the priority for phased repatriation once the lockdown is lifted because of the comparatively smaller numbers involved. But while they wait to return, community leaders say it is important to ensure that no Nepali goes hungry, is homeless or without access to health care. Shares Hari: “When workers eventually return to Nepal, many will have had worked in high-end resorts. We many things to learn from Maldives, especially in luxury tourism. There is a lot of knowhow we can transfer once things get back to normal.”

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Nepalis stranded in the Maldives

<figure></figure> <img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65e99c7e80680e059951jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Opening Ceremony. All Photos: BIKRAM RAI and MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1817" height="1212" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65ec9c7e80680e059952jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Women's boxing under 54kg: Nepal vs India</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="3156" height="2104" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65ee9c7e80680e059953jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>A Nepali cyclists at the Road Cycling event.</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1822" height="1331" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65f19c7e80680e059954jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Men's football: Nepal vs Bhutan</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="2520" height="1680" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65f49c7e80680e059955jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Kabaddi: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="3757" height="2504" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65f79c7e80680e059956jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>17-year-old swimmer Gaurika Singh</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1884" height="1256" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65fa9c7e80680e059957jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Men's football: Bangladesh vs Nepal</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1879" height="1253" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a65fe9c7e80680e059958jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nepal's Gopal Chand after he won gold at the men's 5,000m race</figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66019c7e80680e059959jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Kumite of Karate </figcaption> <figure></figure> <img width="1701" height="1135" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66049c7e80680e05995ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nepal's Santoshi Shrestha and India's Kavita Yadav at the 10,000m race</figcaption>

Our favourite photos from South Asian Games 2019

<figure><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66259c7e80680e059966jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>The Nepali men's football team celebrates their 2-1 win over Bhutan in the finals. All Photos: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>In the much-awaited men's football final, Nepal and Bhutan went head to head in an intense match for the gold. The Nepali team gained a quick lead with a goal scored by Abhishek Rijal in the 16th minute of the game but Bhutan drew before half-time. Sulav Bal eventually scored for Nepal, leading the host country to victory.  <figure><img width="1650" height="1100" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66289c7e80680e059967jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Football: Nepal vs Bhutan</figcaption></figure>India and Pakistan went against each other in both the men's and women's the squash games. While the Indian women's team defeated Pakistan 2-1, the Pakistani mean's team defeated India 2-1. <figure><img width="575" height="657" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a662b9c7e80680e059968jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Final medal tally</figcaption></figure>This year's South Asian Games ends with India as the first-placed team 13th year in a row bagging 174 gold medals and a total of 312 medals. India also broke their previous record of 309 total medals that they had set in the 2016 SAG.Nepal also broke its previous total medal and gold tally with 206 and 51 medals, respectively. <figure><img width="930" height="520" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a662d9c7e80680e059969jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Basketball: Nepal vs Bangladesh</figcaption></figure>In the men's basketball event, Nepal beat Bangladesh to claim bronze while India defeated Sri Lanka for the gold.This year's women's basketball games was also historic for the Nepali team as it was the first time in the South Asian Games that they had reached the finals. They claimed silver while India clinched the gold.  <img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66309c7e80680e05996ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66339c7e80680e05996bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66369c7e80680e05996cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="3510" height="2340" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a663a9c7e80680e05996djpeg.jpg" alt="">The South Asian Games ended with numerous musical, dance and cultural performances. The highlight of the ceremony was the colourful drone show and the dance performances by the students of Nightingale School.

South Asian Games Recap 10 December

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f39c7e80680e0598acjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photos: BIKRAM RAI AND RSS</figcaption></figure>The second day of the 13th South Asian Games saw Nepali athletes dominate the arena, with most wins in taekwondo and karate.Mandekaji Shrestha became the first to win gold for Nepal in the on-going games when he defeated Pakistani’s Niamatullah in men’s individual Karate Kata. Meanwhile in women’s side, Chanchala Danuwar won a silver medal after losing to Pakistani rival Shahida in the final. Nepal however, was victorious in both women’s and men’s group kata category final defeating Pakistani and Sri Lankan team respectively.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f69c7e80680e0598adjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Mandekaji Shrestha</figcaption></figure>In Pokhara, Sonia Gurung emerged victorious in women’s triathlon, whereas Basanta Thapa finished third in the men’s category. Gurung completed the triathlon in one hour 13 minutes and 45 seconds to clinch the gold.Elsewhere Kamal Shrestha beat India's Rahul Jain to secure gold for Nepal in men’s poomsae in 23-29 category. Sri Lankan player Nishashankase Asinge bagged the bronze. Sina Maden of Nepal bagged another gold in taekwondo winning women's individual Taekwondo poomsae 27-23 category.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f99c7e80680e0598aejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1293" height="1000">Nepal made a victorious start in the women cricket held today in Pokhara. The host nation pulled a 10 wickets win against the Maldives. Anjali Chand, who took six wickets in two maidens in 2.1 overs made history in T20 cricket for the best bowling figures and became the first bowler to take six wickets for no run in any international matches.Back in martial arts, Laxman Tamang clinched gold in 55kg category of Kumite by defeating Mohammad Mustafa of Bangladesh. Diwash Shrestha however, fell to Pakistani player in 84kg category and had to contend with the silver. Biplav Lal Shrestha won gold in men’s above 84kg Kumite by overcoming Pakistan’s Muhammad Baz.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63fb9c7e80680e0598afjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63fe9c7e80680e0598b0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64029c7e80680e0598b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64059c7e80680e0598b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427">Nepal's Parbati Gurung defeated Sri Lanka’s ThilakShika Jayawweera in 23-29 age category of Taekwondo Poomsae to win gold. Ayasha Shakya overpowered Indian opponent also to win gold in Taekwondo poomsae above 29 category.In badminton, both men’s and women’s team had to contend with bronze medals. But Nepal won another gold from the reliable pair of Ayesha Shakya and Sanjib Kumar Ojha who were victorious in above 29 years category of pair poomsae.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64089c7e80680e0598b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">In group event, a team of Nita Gurung, Prashansa Chhetri and Sushila Rai won gold in above 23 catgory in women’s poomsae. Similarly, Nepal’s Nisha Darnal, Swastika Tamang and Sanjila Timilsina also won in 17-29 age group event.In volleyball, Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh to win bronze in men’s category. India and Pakistan will battle it out for gold in the match to be held on Tuesday. On women’s side, the much-awaited finals between the host Nepal and defending champion India will be held at 2PM on Tuesday.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a640b9c7e80680e0598b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2108" height="1000"><figcaption>Soni Gurung</figcaption></figure>As of now Nepal stands at the top of medal tally with 15 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. India and Sri Lanka has each won three gold meals each with Pakistani and Bangladesh winning two each.

South Asian Games Recap 2 December

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Nepalis stranded in the Maldives

Our favourite photos from South Asian Games 2019

South Asian Games Recap 10 December

South Asian Games Recap 2 December