By a Staff Reporter
The sporting festival of Nepal, the 9th National Games to be organized by Nepal Sports Council (NSC) is officially scheduled to kick off after 9 days in Gandaki Province. A couple of week-long sporting festival will officially get inaugurated on the 14th of October by the President of Nepal Hon. Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
A total of 36 sports are included in the 9th edition and 11 teams will vie to clinch the maiden running trophy of the National Games. The Prime Minister of Nepal Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba will conclude the National Games on 20th October.
Province 1, Madesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Province, Far Western Province, Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Nepal Police Club (NPC), Armed Police Force (APF), and Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) are the participating team.
Similarly, Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, Football, Tennis, Boxing, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Handball, Soft Tennis, Squash, Wushu, Basketball, Archery, Fencing, Full Contact Karate, Judo, Body Building, Chess, Swimming, Table Tennis, Sepaktaktro, Hockey, Weight Lifting, Shooting, Golf, Cycling, Triathlon, Paragliding, Rugby, Kabaddi, Kusti, Taekwondo, Kho Kho, Karate, ITF Taekwondo are the sports included.
However, the majority of events will begin prior to the opening ceremony. While Men’s Cricket is concluded in mid-September, Women’s Cricket will begin on the 9th of October. The Cricket Association of Nepal was prepared to organize its first-ever league, Nepal T20 League from 24th September due to which CAN requested NSC to prepone the 34th National Men’s Cricket Tournament belonging to the 9th National Games as dates of both the tournament collides.
Showing the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, CAN pushed back Nepal T20 League to December.
Neither Nepal T20 took place as scheduled nor the men’s cricket went fluently. Almost all of the matches were interrupted due to rain. Favorites APF were disqualified without stepping into the field. TAC defeated NPC in the finals and bagged the first medal of the 9th National Games.
TAC won the title of 8th National Games held in Nepalgunj in 2019 clinching 289 medals which includes 140 golds, 82 silvers, and 67 bronze.
The majority of the events of the 9th National Games will be held in Pokhara. However, some games are taken to different parts of Gandaki Province.
9th National Games Schedule:
