Kathmandu: Training of the Nepali national football team, which has been suspended for a long time due to Novel Corona Virus (Covid-19), has started from Thursday.
Sports activities including football and cricket have been suspended since last April due to the government’s ban on training in group sports aiming at preventing Covid-19 infection. Even now, the government has not lifted the ban. Yet, with the permission of the National Sports Council (NSC) for the friendly match in Bangladesh in two weeks, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has arranged for the training.
Bala Gopal Maharjan, who has been given the responsibility of the head coach, has started training at Dasharath Stadium from Thursday with 33 players. With the resumption of football training, the interest of the cricket team has increased. But cricket training is not likely to start before Tihar-Chhath festival. It has been found that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has not even sought permission for training to NSC.
CAN has stated that the procedures to resum cricket training will be taken forth after the festive season ends. According to sources, Qatar had earlier proposed for a T20 match in December, in which Singapore and Oman will also participate. But it is not decided whether Nepal will play or not. Not only for this tour, but also for the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two triangular series, it seems that it is too late to start training for the Nepali team.
World sports activities, which were halted due to the corona virus, have resumed and Nepal may have to host a triangular series in early 2021. But neither the training of the players has started, nor the cricket association has been able to make concrete preparations.
Football training begins, cricket players awaiting
