CAN Sends Letter to RAKHEP and Sports Ministry Requesting Extension of Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground Lease
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has sent a letter to the National Sports Council (RAKHEP) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports requesting an extension of the lease for the Tribhuvan University cricket ground. Ramcharitra Mehta, Member Secretary of the National Sports Council, confirmed receiving the letter and said a decision will be made after further discussions. Youth and Sports Minister Sashmit Pokharel has stated that a renewed lease agreement between Tribhuvan University and CAN will be established. Kathmandu, 15th Baisakh.
CAN has formally requested RAKHEP for an extension of the lease on the Tribhuvan University cricket ground. The original 25-year agreement with Tribhuvan University is about to expire, prompting CAN to submit letters to both RAKHEP and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for renewal consideration. Mehta confirmed receipt of CAN’s letter and informed that further discussions will determine the next steps.
“We have received the letter and will decide on the course of action after consultation with the relevant authorities,” he stated. The ministry has also acknowledged receipt of a letter from RAKHEP and indicated that proceedings will continue based on that communication. “For reference, the ministry has also obtained a letter. We will proceed according to what RAKHEP advises,” a ministry source revealed. CAN initially signed the lease agreement with Tribhuvan University through the National Sports Council in 2002 (2059 BS). However, Tribhuvan University concluded that major sporting events organized at the ground interfere with its academic and research functions. As a result, on 4th Baisakh, the university issued a 35-day ultimatum notice to CAN and 17 other entities to vacate the encroached land under its ownership. Nonetheless, Youth and Sports Minister Sashmit Pokharel has expressed that a new lease agreement between Tribhuvan University and CAN will be finalized.
