National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Sponsors Needed

The private sector can play a big part in boosting Nepalese sports

By NIRAJ POUDYAL

The participation of the private sector has increased dramatically over the past few years in many aspects of Nepalese society. But there still are some important sectors like sports and art that are waiting for greater private-sector initiatives.

A cricket game in progress : Search for sponsors

In today's globalized market economy, sports, which plays an important role in raising the nation's profile in the international arena, depends on much more than government support. Without the participation of the private sector through sponsorship, sustaining the lives of players and the coaches and strengthening their skills becomes a futile quest.

If we consider cricket in India and professional football in Europe, almost the entire development has depended on sponsorship of the business sector. Players' individual efforts and the nation's precious resources are important, but are not sufficient.

Sports in Nepal, be it football or cricket, suffers mainly from lack of a reliable source of funds. In the mist of uncertainty come some rays of hope. Private business homes have started participating in the sports sector regularly and more actively. Surya Snooker, Surya Golf, Himalayan Mountain Bike Racing, felicitation programs organized by Gorkha Brewery for the participants of fourth Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournament, among other things, provide hope to the sector.

The sponsor of the Nepali National Cricket Team, Carlsberg, has awarded participants of the fourth ACC tournament with a cash prize of Rs.10,000 each. The Nepalese team secured the second position in that match after being beaten by United Arab Emirates in the finals.

Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha distributed the prizes to the players. He admired the efforts of the players despite the limited resources they had. He emphasized the importance of the private sector in the development of sports in Nepal. "If the trend of participation of the private sector in sports goes on increasing, the future of Nepalese players will be bright," he said. "The government is ready to support cricket in every way it can."

Mohan Gopal Khetan, president of Gorkha Brewery Pvt. Ltd. congratulated the players and the coach, Roy Dias, for their success. "The Nepalese cricket team is growing as an international team, advertising Nepal in the international arena. This could really promote sports tourism, which, in turn, can play a crucial role in the economic sector," he added, "Many talented players are becoming attracted to cricket, as they are now realizing that their life can be sustained through sports. This has become possible only because of the involvement of the private sector in sports."

Because of the vigorous participation of the private sector, many national and international matches have been successfully organized in recent years. Players are getting regular training and no longer have to worry about uniforms or playing materials.

But there is insufficient participation of the private sector in other sports such as football, volleyball, table tennis and martial arts. These sectors are waiting for sponsorship from the business community, and expect to take the large steps cricket has taken in the last few years.