Kathmandu, 18 June – National swimmers have raised serious allegations of fraud and irregularities in the selection process for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan. Top-ranked Nepalese swimmers including Ervin Shrestha and Medhavi KC have accused the Nepal Swimming Association of abruptly changing selection criteria without prior notice, undermining athlete morale.
At a press conference in Kathmandu on Tuesday, athletes, coaches, and parents expressed concerns about the credibility of the sport’s governing bodies and revealed that they have petitioned the Supreme Court seeking justice.
The controversy stems from a notice issued by the Nepal Swimming Association on 23 April, which announced the third Nepal Aquatic Championship, to be held on 6 and 7 June, as the ‘pre-qualification’ event for the Asian Games. According to the notice, eight male and eight female swimmers would be selected from this championship to compete in a ‘qualification’ event scheduled for the third week of June.
However, following the first day of competition on 6 June, an unsigned and unstamped notice was posted both on social media and at the event venue on the morning of 7 June, designating the championship as the final qualification event instead. Ervin Shrestha condemned this sudden change of criteria after more than half of the competition had been completed, calling it a grand conspiracy and fraud.
“Changing the status from pre-qualification to final qualification mid-competition via an unsigned notice violates sports regulations. The excuse given that the National Sports Council required names within five days is unfounded, especially since the organizers in Japan have allowed submissions until 17 June (1 July). Why is the rule being violated when time is still available?” questioned Ervin Shrestha, Nepal’s number one swimmer.
The athletes also raised serious concerns about technological negligence and the absence of doping tests. On the first day, instead of using the international standard touchpad system, manual stopwatches were employed, undermining the integrity of the heats, they alleged.
Players described repeated changes to the schedule and selection criteria as clear signs of organizational irresponsibility. They further stated that mandatory doping tests were not conducted during the competition.
National swimmer Medhavi KC emphasized that enduring such injustice is a grave wrong, highlighting that such irregularities are prompting talented athletes to seek opportunities abroad. She stated, “Regardless of who gets selected, our teammates will be there. But the process must be transparent and follow rules. We raise our voices so that ethical and capable athletes do not face injustice in the future. Accepting injustice is even worse than committing it.”
Coach Megh Lama pointed out that frequent changes in schedules and criteria seriously impact athletes’ mental preparedness and performance. Ervin’s parent, Maheshwar Shrestha, criticized the selection process for undermining the Association’s credibility by violating both rules and fairness.
Coach Lama added, “Frequent amendments to notices and selection criteria result in injustice toward athletes. Proper scheduling is essential to delivering reliable results.”
Maheshwar Shrestha emphasized that obstacles arising during the pursuit of athletes’ hard-earned goals constitute a serious concern. He urged adherence to established sports rules and procedures, drawing attention to how violations damage the reputation of sports organizations.
The Supreme Court has summoned both parties on Wednesday, 19 June, for discussions and ordered the Nepal Swimming Association, National Sports Council, and Nepal Olympic Committee to submit written responses. With the deadline for submitting athlete names set for 17 June, the athletes have requested the Swimming Association to conduct a final selection in accordance with the proper rules to rectify the errors.
They have warned that failure to conduct a fair investigation into such irregularities could jeopardize the reputation of Nepali sports at large.
