However, the very fact that Nebico decided to award Shrestha with a tipper truck itself speaks a lot about the plight of our sportspersons following their retirement from the game. Once they are through with their careers, they are forced to do all kinds of work – sometimes extremely unbefitting of people who have remained national heroes – to eke out a living. Barring a few exceptions such as Sangina Baidya, Deepak Bista, Upendra Man Singh, Anil Gurung, among a few others, Nepali sportspersons hardly make any money during their playing careers.
The ramifications of pursuing a career in sports without decent monetary incentives have telling effects. First, our sportspersons are never able to completely focus on their games deeply affecting their performance. Second, talented prospects are forced to give up sports and look for more lucrative avenues. Take for example the case of cricketer Kaniska Chaugain, picked as an upcoming star by the international media following his brilliance during ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup in 2006. Financial considerations forced him to quit the game and instead of bringing glory to the nation, he is now eking out a living in the US, probably doing all kinds of odd jobs. There are others who leave for foreign shores to take part in international events but stay back there illegally to work and earn some cash. Imagine what kind of dent such incidents create on the image of Nepal!
Sportspersons are national assets who must be treated with love and respect. We should ensure that they are able to focus completely on their games so that they can make the country proud in international tournaments. To make this happen, we need a concerted effort from sports bodies and federations, government and private sector. They must ensure that sportspersons receive lucrative remuneration and rewards while they are active in their careers. Additionally, they should see to it that they don’t have to worry about earning two square meals a day for themselves and their families post-retirement.
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