NSC Member-secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary and NOC Vice-president Umesh Lal Pradhan both appeared with the badges of chef de mission while Nepali athletes were preparing for the march-past.[break]
As both of them claimed to be the official chef de mission of the Nepali squad, a fierce debate ensued in the Nepali squad.
"Both the bodies had signed an agreement to make the youth and sports minister the Nepali team leader. With that agreement, NSC had also recognized the participation of six games other than those we had entered. But, NOC officials cheated the government as we arrived in Guangzhou. They are presenting Shrestha as chef de mission now," said Chaudhary.
After a marathon meeting at the Youth and Sports Ministry on November 4, NSC and NOC had reached an agreement ensuring Nepal´s participation in 20 games in the Asiad. After the meeting, NOC General Secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha had informed the media that Minister Nepali was to lead the Nepali squad in the Asiad but had remained silent about chef de mission.
NOC, which was well aware that only the person appointed by it could be chef de mission, had agreed to accept Minister Nepali as the team leader.
"The continuation of the power struggle even at the opening venue has upset us," said a Nepali player on condition of anonymity. "Other countries are probably busy in strategic meetings to achieve more, but our leadership is busy quarrelling."
"They are all full of their political agenda and they don´t have any respect for the national flag," he added. "It would have been better if they had come with the flags of their political parties rather than carrying the national flag."
Meanwhile, NSC officials along with Vice-president Pitambar Timalsina questioned NOC officials as their designations in the accreditation cards were mentioned only as team officials. However, the issue was settled right then as NOC Vice-president Shrestha said they would get accreditation cards with proper designations on Saturday.
Adhikari hoists Nepali flag
Weightlifting player Kamal Bahadur Adhikari hoisted the national flag as the Nepali Asiad squad took part in the march-past during the opening ceremony. Adhikari is the only weightlifter from Nepal to win gold medal in the South Asian Games (SAG). Adhikari had won gold during the 10th SAG in Colombo. Adhikari, a Nepal Army player, had also participated in the Beijing Olympics 2008.
No dress code in Nepali squad
While other countries were strictly following the dress code in the march-past during the opening ceremony, Nepali athletes and officials were seen wearing colorful and mismatched clothes. A group of officials and athletes took part in the march-past in daura-suruwal. A few others were in black tracksuits while another lot was in white tracksuits. To make things worse, an athlete was even seen walking with his own set of tracksuits with a print of ´France´ on his back.
Rasaili suffers from boil
Raj Kumar Rasaili, a Nepali athlete participating in the sansau 56 kg event of wushu, is struggling to recover as a boil appeared on his back. Doctors in China have suggested to him to rest for at least two weeks. However, Rasaili said that he would compete in the event. "It is an opportunity for me to fight for the national flag. I´ll fight despite the pain," said Rasaili.
Amazing Opening ceremony
China had the rest of Asia and the world watch in amazement as Prime Minister Wen Jiabao declared the 16th Asian Games opened for the next 15 days in Guangzhou, the southern city of the country.
The whole Haixinsha Island, along with the Pearl River, was used as the opening venue. The opening ceremony directed by Chen Weiya was full of magical shows of light and water.
More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries participated in the march-past during the opening ceremony. The athletes are competing in a record 42 sports over the next 15 days, making it the biggest Asiad ever with a television audience of billions.
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