October 24, Kathmandu. Nepal will not participate in the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Championship to be held in Bangladesh from November 15. Acting president of the basketball association Bhim Singh Gurung said that he decided not to participate as he could not prepare.
He said that the National Sports Council was not able to prepare as the budget was not released on time.
The players are worried about not being able to participate in the tournament. Captain Sadish Pradhan said that he did not take any initiative to participate in the tournament even though he informed the basketball association in time. “We have been playing Saba continuously since 2011. But this time we could not play. After the greens, there has been no game at the national level or at the international level, ”he lamented.
Pradhan had earlier said, “We finished third in the South Asian Games. It looks like the Maldives and Bhutan are doing well now. ‘
Basketball won medals in four different disciplines at the 13th South Asian Games (SAG). The women’s team won the silver medal while the men’s team won the bronze. Similarly, the men’s team won silver and the women’s team won bronze in three by three.
But since the tournament in December 2019, basketball has not become a national sport. “We haven’t played after the green, it’s been almost two years now,” said Pradhan, the captain of the men’s team. I don’t know when I will be able to play now. ‘
Similarly, women’s team captain Sadina Shrestha also complained that they were not allowed to play. He said that there should be a national competition for the players of the national team to play in the local competition.
After Lama Tendi Sherpa fell ill, Bhim Singh Gurung is currently the acting president of the Basketball Association. Although the association has to hold a national level competition once a year, it has not been able to do so at present.
Chairman Gurung, on the other hand, complains that he has not received any support from the government and the National Sports Council. Asked if there are regular football and cricket competitions, Chairman Gurung said, “Football is funded by the AFC. ICCB money comes to cricket. Since the annual budget is allocated, they have to compete or they will return. That is why football and cricket are happening. ‘
He also said that the association is preparing to compete in the league in the near future. He also said that the association is preparing to compete in the age group with NPabson and Pabson.
