“We have begun 21-day long first phase training for the SAG,” said Hari Babu Chaudhary, member secretary at the National Sports Council (NSC) amidst a press conference in the capital on Friday. On the occasion, he elaborated on the proposed 138 days long three-phase training plan for the players participating in the SAG. “We have taken the game as a challenge and the opportunity to boost our national pride. We will try our best to get the best results in the tournament utilizing all the resources available for the training. Our main focus is to gain maximum medals in the martial arts though,” Chaudhary said.
Altogether, 287 players are slated to participate in 23 different events of sports. Seven team games -- basketball, cricket, football, handball, hockey, kabaddi and volleyball -- are included in the SAG. Both men and women will participate in basketball, football and kabaddi. In total, 141 players in individual category including 44 women and 97 men will participate in the event. The individual games include archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, golf, judo, karate, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weight lifting, wrestling and wushu.
Individual events -- boxing, judo, weight lifting will not feature Nepali women players. Nepal also known as traditional powerhouse in South Asian arena has great potential of winning medals in these events. Golf and squash are the other individual events which do not include women´s participation. Karate also includes only six events in men´s and four events in women´s weight category.
“The weight category list as sent by the SAG organizing committee Bangladesh in the martial arts category is not in accordance with the updated rule of world martial arts governing body. We have sent them the revised structure in the weight category, Chaudhary said, adding that they have also requested the organizers to add events in men´s and women´s athletics, boxing, taekwondo, Karate and squash. “Under the team event we have asked the organizers to include volleyball as well.”
“The proposed two level first phase training, which began on Friday, will last for 67 days. The first level training will last for 21 days with participation of 676 players and 127 coaches and the second level will last for 45 days involving 465 players and 95 coaches. The players for the training will be selected by the concerned associations on the basis of the fifth national games and the criteria set by the associations. Similarly, after the first phase selection, 42 days long second phase close camp training will commence from November 15, Chaudhary said.
The second phase training will be followed by a month-long final phase training starting December 29. As per the requirements, the players might be sent abroad or foreign coaches hired for training. For this the NSC will fix the number of trainees and coaches as per the directives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The total expenses for games are expected to be Rs 115.6 million of which 10 percent has been allocated to the ministry. In the previous edition, Nepal secured fourth position among eight nations, bagging altogether 52 medals including seven golds, 14 silvers and 31 bronzes.
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