Young cricketers felicitated

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Feb. 12: The Nepalese young cricketers, whose impressive performance in the World Youth Cricket Cup in New Zealand won them many laurels back home, were honoured and felicitated amidst a colorful function here today.

Minister for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyay felicitated the Nepalese young cricketers and handed over them prizes at the Lainchaur Table-tennis hall.

The players, who contributed mainly to the Nepalese victories in the New Zealand, received individual prizes from the Minister Upadhyay. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) also provided with fifteen thousand rupees to each of fourteen players and also to the coach.

The Nepalese Under-19 team, it may be recalled, reached to the final of the Plate Round where they lost to eventual winner Zimbabwe. Before conceding defeat to the rivals in the final, the home team had won six matches out of eight they played in the whole tournament.

They were unlucky not to have entered the super league of the tournament as they trailed against England on the run average. If the Nepalese had socred one more run against Pakistan, they could have entered the super league. They however, had beaten the strongest rival Pakistan in the league match. But the title of the world cup was ultimately won by the Australian youngsters beating South Africans in the final.

Speaking at today’s programme, Minister Upadhyay said that the success of Nepalese team helped the nation to be known in the world

The Minister congratulated the players for gaining success of such magnitude in a very short span of time. The success would certainly lure more Nepalese youths towards the game of cricket, he said.

Minister of State for Education and Sports N.P. Saud said that success at New Zealand has augmented Nepal’s image all over the world. Minister Saud wished success for the team in the future also.

Member Secretary of National Sport Council(NSC) Binod Shankar Palikhe said that the performance of Nepalese youths had encouraged the NSC to invest more resources in cricket. " The NSC has already provided financial assistance worth 3.5 million rupees for the development of the cricket."

The NSC will proved its assistance to the senior cricketers also, Palikhe said. The NSC is assisting with all its might to the CAN in the construction of cricket academy and grounds in the different parts of the country.

Palikhe, however, criticized the CAN officials for failing to give pace to the construction of the cricket infrastructure both in the capital and outside of it. "If CAN lacks its pace, the NSC would be forced to take back its lands it has given to the association for the construction of cricket academy houses and grounds in Pokhara and Biratnagar."

The NSC chief also praised media role in highlighting the success of the Nepalese colts in the youth world cup.

At the programme, CAN President Jaya Kumar Nath Shah welcomed the players and other participants. The team leader Pramod Upadhyay and CAN secretary Binay Raj Pandey along with captain Binod Das and coach Samson Thapa also spoke.