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| Kathmandu, Wednesday December 25, 2002 Paush 10, 2059. |
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Nepal start preparations for 9th SAF Games
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Dec 24 : The National Sports Council (NSC) gave a
go ahead to the preliminary training for the upcoming 9th South Asian Federation (SAF)
Games amid a function held at the council’s premises on Tuesday.
The SAF Games, involving all the seven SAARC
countries, are scheduled for March 29 - April 7 in Pakistan capital Islamabad. Out of the
total 15 disciplines in the Games, Nepal will participate in 14: karate, boxing,
weightlifting, wrestling, swimming, shooting, football, athletics, taekwondo, volleyball,
kabbaddi, badminton, squash and table tennis. Canoeing is the other event in the Games.
The Minister for Education and Sports Devi
Prasad Ojha, who is also the president of NSC, officially launched the training by giving
away sports equipment to the respective coaches of the 14 disciplines.
Ojha also assured necessary support from the
government for preparation and participation of Nepali team in the Games.
While briefing reporters on the team’s
preparation for the Games, member-secretary of NSC Binod Shankar Palikhe said that the
council would pick-up 140 players from 332, who are on the preliminary training.
The cost of the training is estimated at Rs.
18.4 million while Rs. 20.7 million is expected to be incurred for the participation.
According to Palikhe, the government will allocate the required budget only after a South
Asia Sports Federation (SASF) meeting on January 9 in Islamabad.
On the occasion, president of Nepal Olympic
Committee (NOC) Rukma Shamsher Rana hinted that the SASF meeting would also decide on the
establishment of SAF Games headquarters in Nepal. All high-level sports delegates from
seven member nations are expected to attend the meeting.
"Although all the members of SAARC have
shown green light for the establishment of headquarters, it has not been officially
declared," Rana said. "I am very hopeful that the SASF meeting would approve our
proposal."
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