KATHMANDU, April 7: Nepal Army has called back its players after the organizers decided to include Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the Fifth National Games 2009.
A letter from the Army Headquarters to this effect is being sent to the National Sports Council, according to Lt. Col. Bhai Krishna Khatri. [break]
The PLA team has been included at the eleventh hour after written instruction from Prime Minister Puspha Kamal Dhaal to the Ministry for Youth and Sports. The Maoists had threatened to disrupt the Games if their PLA was not allowed to participate.
All the army players have left Dasharath Stadium where they were scheduled to participate in athletics track and field events. Two of them, Hari Rimal and Raj Kumar Bista had finished first and second in the 1500m men´s event, but did not stay for the medal ceremony. The medal ceremony for 1500m women´s event, won by Surya Maya Rai of APF finishing ahead Nepal Police´s Chhaya Khatri, has not yet staged due to the standoff.
Sports events in which Army have participated have not been staged while other events are being carried according to schedule. PLA women team competed in the league round of the women´s volleyball against Western Region on Tuesday morning.
Jeevan Ram Shrestha, the member-secretary of National Sports Council and the chairman of the executive committee of the Games, confirmed that the players from Nepal Army have not participated in any event Tuesday morning.
"Nepal Army has not pulled back yet," Shrestha said. "We hope that Army will participate in the events that are not participated by PLA." An army source also indicated that they are likely to participate in such events.
The six games that PLA has confirmed to participate are football (men), volleyball (women/men), karate, athletics, badminton and taekwondo.
´PLA included upon PM Dahal´s last minute written directive´
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council had to allow the People´s Liberation Army (PLA) to participate in the 5th National Games after Prime Minister Dahal instructed the organizers in writing, said Sports Minister Gopal Shakya.
"The instruction came late evening on Monday," Shakya told reporters at the NSC office. “So we had no choice but to include the PLA.” Shakya also added that they had included PLA hoping that it would help on the ongoing peace process in the nation.
The PLA is participating as PLA Nepal Sports Club. NSC decided to include PLA in a late night meeting on Monday. The Games was inaugurated on Monday evening.
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