Fair Play
Prakash Timalsina, Kathmandu
In Nepali sports, there is a belief among some individuals that their presence and words are always right. There are lots of people who are keen to maintain their positions just for the sake of their presence in the fraternity. They are in delusion that the sports associations and the sports themselves cannot advance without them in it.
A notable example is Jeevan Ram Shrestha, the President of the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC). He transitioned from an ordinary political activist to the ward chairman of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, then to a federal member of parliament, and a minister. From being central member of the CPN-UML, Shrestha is now integral part of the Nepal Samajwadi Party.
The UML appointed him as the member secretary of the National Sports Committee (NSK) twice. Over the past 15 years, he has been involved with the NOC under various top roles. He has served as the general secretary twice and the chairman twice. However, his desire to stay in power remains strong.
After holding a special convention last year, the NOC extended the term of current Executive Committee by one year citing Paris 2024 Olympics as a show cause. And now the election for a new working committee is under due process.
Out of 19 positions, 18 have been filed unopposed, with only the President position left. Ignoring court and government directives, Shrestha has plans to be president for another term. He is competing against Vice President Tej Gurung and General Secretary Nilendra Raj Shrestha. Given the circumstances, it appears likely that Jeevan Ram will secure the presidency for the third time. If either of the other candidates wins, it would be a surprising result for whole of Nepali sports.
If Jeevan Ram Shrestha had even a hint of moral integrity, the NOC would have got a new leadership by now. However, he sees no one else as fit for that role except himself. Therefore, he set up a plan behind the scenes to amend the NOC statutes.
There used to be a rule in the NOC that the president and general secretary could only serve two terms. This changed following a special general meeting held last month, allowing for continuous or repeated elections for these positions. However, the NOC is yet to provide any formal information about this amendment.
Most of the NOC representatives, aside from a few dissenters, have rallied behind Shrestha’s ambition to become the new ruler of the NOC. The revised statute, passed with a two-thirds majority, seemingly supports Shrestha’s interests.
Shrestha has brought the NOC back to the same state it was in 17 years ago. During that time, chairman Rukma Shamsher Rana resisted leaving his position. Shrestha opposed Rana and took control with the support of Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan. The former NOC led by Rana faced accusations of holding questionable elections.
Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan, the general secretary at that time, collaborated with Shrestha to unseat Rana. Shrestha participated in the general meeting as a judo representative, and together they defeated former member secretary Kishor Bahadur Singh in the elections.
Currently, nothing in the NOC can proceed without Shrestha’s approval. His political ambitions and his role as NOC chairman dominate his focus. Similar to Rana’s era, Shrestha is preparing to tightly manage the election process. Having partnered with Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan to end Rana’s long-standing control of the NOC in the past, Shrestha is now walking on the same path himself.
Under Pradhan, Shrestha held the position of general secretary for two consecutive terms. Realizing he needed to set the rules in order to become president, he created circumstances that allowed for a change in the rules.
After the rule of maximum two tenures was passed, president Pradhan stepped down, and he naturally transitioned into the role for two terms. Now, when it’s time for Shrestha to leave the NOC, he seeks to manipulate the environment to fit his continuing ambitions. During this time, he has also become a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which has not satisfied his desire for influence.
Shrestha likely fears that his significance will diminish without a powerful position. Why would he willingly give up the chance to participate in international events with the perks of being NOC president and the associated political honors?
Thus, rather than resigning, he aims to fulfill his desire for the privileges of the NOC presidency, even if it involves changing the statutes. Most representatives from the 27 member organizations of the NOC, except for a few, have become willing backers of his plan. They begin to ask, “If not Jeevan Ram Shrestha, then who?”
He dismissed discussions about following the statutes to allow others the chance to compete, choosing instead to serve his interests without shame or hesitation.
Jeevan Ram Shrestha has nothing more to gain from Nepali sports. He was the the member secretary of the National Sports Council twice, in 2053 and 2063. Since 2007, he has held an executive position in the NOC continuously. However, his ambitions remain unmet. He established the Nepal Ski Association, which has had little success in the NOC. He continues to serve as its founding president, but his association’s absence is evident in public.
The Ski Association has been organizing national competitions to highlight its establishment in 2016 and has begun participating internationally. Jeevan Ram’s son, Saphal Ram Shrestha, has represented the Ski Association well in the Youth Olympics and has also taken on official roles.
Saphal Ram has participated in over 30 events from 2015 to January 2024. His international career began in South Korea, and he has competed in nearly a dozen competitions. In more than half of these events, he either did not finish or did not start at all. Even in the events he completed, he often finished in positions beyond the 50th.
Shrestha has disregarded laws to pursue his own ambitions. Having served as a minister and MP, he recently ignored a High Court order that asked to stop any election procedures. It’s unlikely he will respect the Supreme Court’s order to halt the upcoming election on Saturday.
By holding onto his position, Shrestha has diminished not only his own reputation but also that of Nepali sports. The rule of law that he claims to support has effectively ended, at least within the NOC.
Jeevan Ram Shrestha’s aspiration to become the new dictator of the NOC, along with his cadres who wish to fulfill this dream, may help them achieve their desired positions in the future. However, they will not earn genuine respect from athletes and sports fans, possibly not even from themselves.
