Kathmandu. It has been revealed that the coaches of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) team participating in the Ninth National Sports Tournament held in Gandaki province last year have not received the allowances and the cash prizes that the medal winners should have received. The players and coaches have said that they have not yet received the coaches’ allowances and awards that should be provided according to the agreement made by NRNA during the new national sports competition.
The victimized coaches said that the NRNA has not yet given allowances to more than a dozen coaches of various sports, including the three who were employed in the National Sports Council, as requested by the National Sports Council. Even though it is clearly mentioned in paragraph-3 (e) of the NRNA Sports Academy’s sports rules and procedures and the facilities to be provided to the players and the role of the National Coordination Council of 2079 that cash prizes will be given to the medalists, even after seven months of the competition, it has not been implemented in practice. Even after informing the concerned people several times about this matter, the problem remains the same, and the coaches and players have become victims.
Praveenkaji Shrestha, NRNA’s judo coach in the 9th National Games, says that allowances were not provided as per the contract. He said – ‘According to the agreement, we have not received anything. Not only the coaches, but also the players have not got anything. In the rules and procedures, it is mentioned that 1 lakh, 75 thousand and 50 thousand cash prizes will be given to the gold, silver and bronze winners respectively. However, far from giving cash prizes to those who win medals, it has been seven months that coaches have not received even the simple allowance they should get.’ Stating that most of the players have prepared for the tournament with their own personal expenses, he said – ‘I have informed the relevant places and people many times about this matter. However, it does not seem to be taken seriously.’ Earlier, in the 8th National Games, everything was available according to the agreement, but in the 9th, even the simple allowance was not received, he expressed his grief.
Table tennis coach Sandhya Shakya also said that NRNA did not give allowance as per the contract. She said – ‘Seven months have passed since the competition, but I have not received the allowance. This is against the agreement.’ Similarly, athletics coach Vimala Ranamar also said that she felt disrespected by the behavior of NRNA. She says that according to the agreement with NRNA, she has not received anything. Ranamar, who is also an Olympian, handled the training of NRNA’s athletics players from team preparation to competition. She says that the condition of other trainers of NRNA is similar to hers. She said that she was saddened that she did not get anything even during the preparation and now that seven months have passed since the competition, she has not even received an allowance.
She says that even after informing the technical director of NRNA Sports Academy, Swayambhuraj Dangol several times, there has been no progress. When asked about this matter with Dangol, he said that the financial aspect was not under his control. Dangol said – ‘My responsibility is to look only at the technical aspects related to the game. Which has nothing to do with financial aspects and money transactions.’
When contacted with the Chief Executive Officer of NRNA Nepal, Ravi Kiran Adhikari, he said that this problem has arisen because the work undertaken by the NRNA Sports Academy has not been completed. He said – ‘This problem has arisen because the expenditure is more than estimated. Initially, the officials of NRNA Sports Academy said that they can arrange sponsors to raise the expenses. However, they could not do it.’ NRNA’s internal problems are in place. However, due to the non-availability of allowances and prizes, the coaches and some NRNA players in Nepal have become angry.
Pasang Finzi Sherpa, Head of the Economic Administration Branch of the Rakhine State, said that NRNA was the only team that did not fail to account for the National Sports Council in the ninth national sports competition. Sherpa says that the NRNA team has not yet spent the expenses given by the National Sports Council for team preparation. “According to the rules, the account must be settled within 35 days of the end of the competition, but NRNA’s account is yet to be settled,” he said.
Ravi Kiran Adhikari, Chief Executive Officer of NRNA Nepal, said that there was a problem in disbursement as the entire amount given by Rakhep did not come through the bank account. He said – ‘The entire amount given by Rakhep did not come from the bank account of our organization. That’s why it took time to figure out the amount that didn’t appear in the bank account.’
NRNA medalist
Shiv Thapa, 1 gold, 57 kg
Chandra b. Tamang, 1 silver, 71 kg
Sanil Shahi, 1 silver, 67 kg
Badminton
1 Bronze, Men’s Team
Intelligence
1 gold, Ashish Phuyal
judo
1 silver
Full Contact Karate
1 bronze
lawn tennis
1 silver, Arva Samrat Hada
taekwondo
1 Silver, Sumitra KC, 57 kg
Table tennis
2 bronze
In men’s team events (team of Dipson, Prateek Thapa, Ganesh Tamang and Mahesh Shrestha), in mixed doubles (team of Dipson and Sunita Lama)
swimming
6 gold and 3 silver, (Ashley Sapkota Dangol), Ashish Sapkota Dangol 4 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal (Ashley Sapkota Dangol holds two national records and Ashish Sapkota Dangol holds two national records)
Trainer of NRNA
Bijan Shrestha – Swimming
Chabilal Shahi – Badminton
Ram Shrestha – Volleyball
Rajin Shrestha – Taekwondo
Chandra Shahi – Lawn Tennis
Ravi Shahi – Karate
Praveenkaji Shrestha – Judo
Gyanendra Timilsina – Full Contact Karate
Subas Khakurel – Cricket
Gyanendra Khaniju – Chess
Neera Kayastha – Soft Tennis
Raj Shrestha – Boxing
Vimala Ranamar – Athletics
Sandhya Shakya – Table Tennis