KATHMANDU, March 22: Two ministers have abstained from a program, which was organized to felicitate them by CPN-UML’s sister organization Nepal Sports Federation (NSF) on Wednesday.

The federation’s plan to felicitate Minister for Labor and Employment Gokarna Bista and Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Bishwokarma couldn’t materialize due to the two ministers’ absence. 

Member Secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC) Keshav Kumar Bista, speaking at the function entitled ‘Present scenario of sports development and possibilities and congratulations’, claimed that the new government is sports-friendly despite the ministers’ absence in the program.

Stating that the first meeting of the council of ministers had decided to make an international-level sports stadium and give priority to sports sector in every province, the member secretary claimed that the new government has been giving top priority for the sports sector. 

“We are organizing different tournaments utilizing the budget given by the government. The sports sector will not take much time to move forward if we are provided with required budget,” said Bista. “The present government is focused on sports, so it will be easier for the sports minister.’’ 

UML lawmaker and the President of the NOC Jeevan Ram Shrestha, who was elected from Kathmandu-1, said that the sports sector should move forward on the basis of international recognition. 

“We should move forward by concluding the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) successfully and the infrastructural development in time,’’ Shrestha added. 

The former sports minister and the president of the federation Purusottam Paudel said that the sports sector is unable to move forward because of the unstable government. 

“UML is the first party in Nepal to unveil manifesto in sports and we are the party to give priority to sports. Sports will take a giant leap because we have a stable government now,’’ Paudel added. 

Vice-president of NSC and General Secretary of the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) Tendi Sherpa opined that the sports sector must be kept free of some organizations that are limited just in paper and their bags even having without any office.

“The supreme body should give priority to those sports which can bring medals rather than popular sports,’’ Sherpa added, “The government should complete construction of infrastructure which has already been started rather than starting a new one in the name of infrastructural development.’’ 

Though the speakers were advising the ministers, the ministers were not present in the program. They informed that the ministers could not make it to the program due to a meeting of council of ministers. 

 
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