But the delights of the players of the Nepali national team, gearing up for the T20 World Cup for the blind, has turned sour after they were robbed of their rights to practice ahead of their most important tournament, which is just around the corner.[break]
The blind cricketers from around the country have gathered in Kathmandu for closed camp training since last week but they do not have a proper ground as they were shown a dusty football ground for practice at the Pulchowk Engineering Campus instead of the original cricket ground as per the agreement with the campus.
The blind players turned highly emotional after learning that their practice ground had to be moved just to organize a school-level cricket tournament for the ‘abled ones’.
Coach of the Nepali national blind cricket team Ganga Prasad Poudel says that the concerned authorities have hurt the sentiments of the blind cricketers by giving priority to a junior game at the expense of their training for the World Cup.
“The World Cup means everything for us but the concerned authorities are giving more importance to a junior level event,” Poudel told Republica.
“This is a historic event for us. It is our first participation in the World Cup,” he added.
Showing the agreement papers, Paudel told Republica that the campus, with the consent of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), had given them the nod to practice on the ground more than a month ago. But the CAN, which has acquired the ground on lease, played foul in the last minute by giving the rights to host the Wai Wai Indo-Nepal U-16 T20 Cricket Tournament on the same ground.
“It is a blatant negligence by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN),” said Poudel who believed CAN of playing the spoilsport.
“They have always been supportive but we couldn’t fathom why they ditched us this time,” added Poudel, who also said that the CAN has pledged to provide them sports gear for the World Cup which will be held in Bangalore, India from December 2 to 14.
“They treated us unfairly, maybe, because they value commercial sponsorship more than our sentiments,” rued Poudel.
CAN General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel, meanwhile, said that the ground was not under their jurisdiction despite signing a 10-year lease with the campus a few years ago.
“The Blind Cricket Association had asked us for the TU Cricket Ground but we couldn’t provide the ground because of the national team’s training. So we told them to approach the Pulchowk Engineering Campus,” he said.
“Even we have to pay the campus to use their ground,” he added.
Surya Prasad Adhikari, administration chief of the campus, said that he was unaware of the incident, while Kamal Prasad Ghimire, who signed the agreement papers on behalf of the campus, couldn’t not be contacted by Republica.
Visually impaired sprinter/cricketer Bikram Bahadur Rana, who recently broke the national record in 100 m during the London Paralympics, said that the junior level tournament began just a few days ago but they were denied entry by the authorities since a week citing maintenance of the ground.
“We have been treated like monkeys. We are having a hard time practicing in the dusty football pitch,” said Rana, an armyman who turned to blind cricket after losing his eyesight during the Maoist insurgency about nine years ago.
Coach Poudel said that practicing in the football pitch may hamper their performance due to the difference in the condition of the ground. Moreover, they have to depend on the sound of the ball too.
Skipper Jay Sagar Giri, who is a drummer by profession, was upbeat about a good show despite the hurdles.
Giri said that Nepal was selected for the nine-team World Cup based on their performance in two international friendlies held in Pakistan in 2008 and 2010.
“We will try to better our result and try to reach at least the final,” said Giri.
Coach Poudel was more realistic, saying that their aim was to cross the group stage and reach the semifinals.
“Although this is the first T20 World Cup for the blind, Pakistan has already won the 40 overs World Cup twice and India has won it one time. They are the favorites to win the tournament,” he said.
A 22-member team, including 16 players, will be leaving for India on November 30 for the World Cup with the financial support from the Cricket Association of Blind, Nepal.
Major Pawan Ghimire, president of the association, said lack of proper training will definitely affect the team’s performance.
“We were aiming high, but no more after this fiasco. We have been neglected. They don’t understand that we too are playing for the pride of the nation,” he said.
Related story
Desperate search for missing girls as nearly 80 dead in Texas f...
