The sports sector has been excluded from the Balen government’s announced 100-point governance reform agenda, causing concern among stakeholders in the field. The government led by Balendra Shah has not included sports in its top 100 reform priorities. Suggestions have been made to allocate one percent of the budget for sports improvements and to collaborate with the private sector. Date: 16 Chaitra, Kathmandu.
The interim government, under the leadership of Sushmila Karki, had formed a committee on Poush 14 to prepare a good governance roadmap. This committee’s report emphasized transparency, accountability, and policy and legal reforms to bring good governance to the sports sector. On Chaitra 3, a committee led by Govind Bahadur Karki, Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office, submitted a report that included reform plans for sports.
The comprehensive 1,049-page report analyzed the condition, challenges, and transformative reform ways for Nepali sports. However, ten days after submission (Chaitra 13), the newly formed government led by Balendra Shah failed to prioritize sports. The 100-point governance reform agenda passed on Friday under the Balen administration did not include any measures related to sports.
Former Youth Minister Purushottam Paudel said, “Sports hold significant importance in Nepal’s context. Several sports like cricket have enhanced Nepal’s international reputation. Yet, the government does not seem to be giving them adequate priority.”
The good governance roadmap report highlighted delays in legislation and amendments aligned with the federal structure, issues in human resource management, and exposed various challenges in Nepali sports. These include the stalling of the National Sports Development Act amendment bill in the House of Representatives, unfilled posts in the National Sports Council (Rakhap), and weak regulatory and monitoring systems within the sports sector.
The report recommended setting timelines for continuous implementation, ensuring athlete participation in competitions, and providing service facilities. Immediate simplification and improvement were deemed necessary for the Sports Act amendments, approval processes, and grant management.
Accusations of Neglect by the Balen Government: Sports reform issues incorporated in the previous government’s good governance roadmap have been omitted from the Balen government’s 100-point agenda. Suvarna Shrestha, Executive Member of the National Sports Council (Rakhap), expressed disappointment that the government’s 100-point agenda failed to include sports.
“The 100 reform points are good, but sports is absent. I had hoped sports would be included in the first phase. A grassroots development plan would have been ideal,” she said, expressing expectations for future inclusion.
Deepak Shrestha, President of the Nepal National and International Players Association (NNIPA), voiced his sadness over the new government’s disregard for the sports sector. “There were high expectations from the new government regarding sports. The election manifesto of Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswapak) had prioritized sports, but its absence from the agenda is disappointing,” he remarked.
Former Minister Paudel noted that the government only focuses on infrastructure development and overlooks sports. “The human and emotional aspects connected to sports are ignored. The government’s main attention goes elsewhere,” he explained.
At the time of assuming office, Sports Minister Sasmita Pokharel had promised to depoliticize the sports sector. Although Raswapak’s election manifesto emphasized correcting administrative errors, this commitment was missing from the 100-point agenda.
NNIPA President Shrestha remains concerned about the ongoing disregard for sports by the new government. “Looking at the 100-point agenda, it seems that, like other traditional parties, Raswapak’s view also does not consider sports seriously,” he stated, though he retains a small amount of hope.
Former Sports Minister Paudel highlighted that addressing talent drain is the current priority in sports. “Some infrastructure has been established where athletes can play. Therefore, it is essential to provide training and technology to retain talent and encourage athletes,” he emphasized.
He stressed that the new government should communicate confidence to athletes directly.
According to Suvarna Shrestha of Rakhap, designating one percent of the total budget for sports could enable significant progress. “One percent of the budget can achieve a lot. If we collaborate with the private sector, investments in sports can increase,” she added. She is confident that linking sports with tourism and economic resources will accelerate Nepal’s sports development significantly.
