Probe committee to investigate players' disappearance

Published On: August 31, 2016 02:00 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Aug 31: National Sports Council (NSC) on Tuesday formed a probe committee to investigate disappearance of the so called players during a friendly tournament in Japan on July 15.

West Kathmandu Football Cricket team had visited Japan for a friendly match in Japan. But it has been alleged that nine none cricketers were taken with the team to Japan during the tour. The nine Nepalis didn't return from Japan.

West Kathmandu Football Cricket team consisted of former U-19 players and even a former national player.

According to a statement issued by NSC, a three-member probe committee has been formed under the coordination of its member Sailesh Karmacharya. Other members of the team includes Dom Bahadur Basnet, the chief of Sports Association Coordination Department and Narayan Aryal, the chief of legal department of NSC.

The Nepali team was studded with Siddhanta Lohani, a former member of the national team, along with other cricketers Saurav Khanal, Prem Tamang, Amit Shrestha, Faijlur Rehman Khan and Sonu Tamang.

The friendly match was reportedly managed by Sundar Thapa who was a former goalkeeper of B Division football club Boys Union Club and Kiran Rana, the secretary of the elected Cricket Association of Nepal which has been suspended by the International Cricket Council.

Earlier on Monday, a group of cricket supporters had staged a peaceful protest in the capital demanding the government to investigate the alleged human trafficking and punish the culprits.

According to the NSC statement, the disappearance has tarnished the image of the country at the international level and given negative message about sports of the country.  The statement has directed the committee to find out those involved in the tour, the agencies to bear the cost for the tour, if it was an official tournament of the ICC or not and if any cricket officials were involved or not.


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