Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan and Kent County Council´s Chairman Paulina Stockell signed an agreement on August 16 at County Hall in Maidstone while Stockell has also signed another agreement with Nepal Paralympic Committee General Secretary Pashupati Parajuli recently.[break]
“London Olympics Organizing Committee provides £25000 as training grant to NOC but under the condition that the Nepali team should receive training within Britain,” said NOC President Pradhan. “We found Kent as a suitable location for our teams and the County Council also showed its interest to host Nepali teams,” he added.
The Royal Gurkha Rifles, comprising soldiers from Nepal, are based in Folkstone of Kent County and more than 200 families live in the area.
“I met non-residential Nepalis (NRN) over there during my recent visit to England and they also vowed to help Nepali team during the training period,” said Pradhan. “The Kent County Council´s chairman Stockell assured us that they will provide us local coaches and sparring partners for contact sports,” he added.
Pradhan said the training in Kent will help Nepali players to acclimatize prior to London Olympics 2012.
According to www.insidethegames.biz, Joanna Lumley, who had spearheaded a high-profile campaign for Gurkhas to be allowed to settle in Britain, had delivered a letter to the President Dr Ram Baran Yadav two years ago from a leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter, and invited Nepali teams to train there.
Both the Olympic and Paralympics teams from Nepal will be based mainly in Canterbury University and Canterbury High School.
“We are delighted as Nepal has chosen to come to Kent and we look forward to welcoming all the international athletes who will be staying and training here," insidethegames.biz quoted Mike Hill, the Kent County Council member for customer and community services.
"Kent County Council and the people of this County will give a very warm welcome to the Nepali athletes. Nepal and Kent have a strong association, so I am very pleased that we are able to further this through our agreement."
According to NOC President Pradhan, Kent County Council has promised more facilities for the athletes. “They have welcomed both the Olympic and Paralympics team,” said Pradhan.
Nepal had sent eight athletes to the Beijing Olympics 2008 for participation in athletics, judo, shooting, swimming, taekwondo and weightlifting.
Nepal had made its debut in the Tokyo Olympics 1964 but has never won a medal, although Bidhan Lama finished third in the taekwondo in Seoul in 1988 when it was a demonstration sport.
Nepal only made its debut in the Paralympics in Athens in 2004 and sent only one athlete sprinter Jit Bahadur Khadka to Beijing for the Paralympics.
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