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Kathmandu Thursday February 14, 2002 Falgun 02, 2058.
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Deuba praises U-19 cricket
team
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Feb 13 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba on Wednesday felicitated the Nepali cricket team for their outstanding performance
in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.
Prime Minister Deuba, at a function held in
honour of the team at his official residence Baluwatar, said that the players have made
the nation proud with their achievement.
"What Nepali team has achieved in the
tournament definitely enhanced country’s image at the international arena,"
Deuba said.
Nepal, following a string of intrepid
performances with six straight wins in the World Cup, finished runners-up to Zimbabwe in
the Plate Championship.
It was the best tour I have ever been part
of," declared the cheerful Nepali team captain Binod Das upon team’s arrival.
On the occasion, Minister of State for Education
and Sports Narayan Prasad Saud and member-secretary of National Sports Council (NSC) Binod
Shankar Palikhe also praised the Nepali team’s brilliant showing in the World Cup.
Palikhe informed that NSC, evaluating Nepal’s
cricket potential, has listed it as one of the priority sports. "We have decided to
earmark Rs 5 million to cricket from the council’s total budget of Rs 40
million," he said.
Attributing team’s remarkable feat to the
players’ hard work and fans affection for the game, Jay Kumar Nath Shah, the
president of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), said that the association would surge on
to realise Nepal’s cricket potential.
"Our objective is to gain official one-day
status in next five years," Shah said.
Secretary of CAN Binay Raj Pandey and other
officials also attended the function.
Earlier on the day, President of ruling Nepali
Congress Party Girija Prasad Koirala also organised a felicitation programme for the youth
cricket team at his residence in Maharajgunj.
Congratulating the Nepali cricketers for their
achievement, Koirala said the team, through cricket, has introduced Nepal to the
international arena and wished for better results in the future. He also distributed
prizes to the players on the occasion.
The cricket team was also felicitated by the
Democratic National Youth Association (DNYA). Jhalanath Khanal, member of the CPN-UML
Standing Committee, speaking at the function, said that the cricket team’s
performance has enhanced country’s prestige.
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