"Youth and Sports Minister Ganesh Tiwari Nepali will lead the Nepali team in the Asiad and Nepal will participate in 20 games," NOC General Secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha said at a press conference on Thursday.[break]
The two sports authorities, who were at loggerheads, agreed on Wednesday to settle the issues between them one after the other. "We have discussed about the meeting points of the various issues within the two bodies and we will reach agreements one after the other," said Shrestha.
"The issue of appointing chef-de-mission from either body has no relevance as the sports minister himself is leading the Nepali team," he added.
According to Shrestha, altogether 140 athletes and 52 coaches and officials of 20 games will go to Guangzhou for the Asiad.
"NSC had a list of games for participation, and six other games were also preparing for participation with our assistance and on their own expenses," said Shrestha.
"Along with the 14 games listed by NSC, gymnastics, chess, golf, kabaddi, tennis and cycling will also participate." However, Shrestha didn´t mention anything regarding the participation of swimming.
Nepal Swimming Association (NSA) recognized by NSC had selected Shailesh Rana and Shaila Rana for the Asiad. However, NOC had not registered the game in the Asiad organizing committee stating NSC had sent a letter for registration after the deadline and NSC´s act of forming a new NSA body was against the Olympic Charter.
NOC and NSC have been indulging in continuous disputes after the latter dissolved the Nepal Gymnastics Association led by NOC President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan. Things turned even worse after NOC rejected to appoint NSC Member-Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary as chef de mission for the Asiad.
- Youth and Sports Minister to lead Nepali team
- Nepal to participate in 20 games
- Swimming excluded from participation
Meantime, following the Supreme Court´s verdict on October 4, Nepal Olympic Committee led by Rukma Shamsher Rana came to the surface to widen the gap between NOC and NSC.
The SC had given its verdict on October 4 authorizing the Rana-led NOC to manage NOC´s bank accounts. Earlier, Kamal Bahadur Chitrakar, a member of the Rana-led NOC, had filed a writ against former home minister Bam Dev Gautam´s decision to authorize the NOC headed by Pradhan to manage NOC´s bank accounts.
During the conflicts between the two authorities, NSC had recently ordered four banks to freeze NOC´s accounts, further souring relations between the two and even casting doubt over Nepal´s participation in the Asiad.
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