15 November, Kathmandu. Indian athletes who got here to Nepal to play the match have been cheated by counting on false invites discovered on social media.
At their very own expense, a crew of 20 athletes and seven officers of athletics and martial arts from 4 completely different states of India got here to Kathmandu and returned after discovering out that they had been cheated by staying in a lodge in Garidhara.
Both gamers and officers have suffered once they got here to Nepal with out checking the authenticity of the invitation despatched for the twenty eighth South Asian Games. But it’s not but clear who’s concerned on this work.
What is the occasion?
Niraj Sharma, a martial artist from Punjab, noticed a notification on the Punjab Taekwondo Hats app group. In the discover, it was talked about that taekwondo, karate, athletics, boxing, kavadi, judo, usu, kick boxing, cricket, soccer, badminton and wrestling competitions will likely be held in Nepal from November 27 to 29 beneath the twenty eighth South Asian Games.
It was talked about within the invitation letter that taekwondo, karate, athletics, boxing, kavadi, judo, usu, kick boxing, cricket, soccer, badminton and wrestling competitions will likely be held in Nepal from November 27 to 29 beneath the twenty eighth South Asian Games.
It is talked about within the letter that the competitors, which is to be organized by the District Sports Committee Kathmandu of a corporation known as Karma Nepal, has been acknowledged by the Nepal Olympic Committee and the Nepal Sports Federation. The brand of Nepal Olympic Committee has additionally been used within the invitation letter.
In this digitally designed invitation letter, the president of the organizing group, Bishnu Thapa and the overall secretary Phurva Dorjee are talked about. The contact handle and variety of the group shouldn’t be talked about. A boxing coach named Karamjit from Sonipat, Haryana, India was additionally given his cellphone quantity as a method of contact.
What is stunning is that within the invitation despatched within the title of the twenty eighth South Asian Games 2022, the nationwide flags of America, UAE, Malaysia and Thailand have additionally been used, however the flag of Nepal, which is alleged to be the host, shouldn’t be included.
After receiving the invitation to take part within the worldwide competitors, excited Niraj Sharma made a plan to take part. Sharma, who can be the Punjab State Technical Director of Penak Silat, runs an academy known as Mixed Martial Art School of Multiple Games at a spot known as Khana in Fategarh district of Punjab. He determined to ship wrestling gamers educated in his academy to Nepal.
After seeing the invitation letter, I contacted Karamjit. When he instructed me that there was nonetheless a quota of gamers in wrestling, he mentioned that I’ve included the gamers of the burden group and introduced them to Nepal,’ mentioned Niraj, who was met in Basantpur on Thursday.
Through the identical course of, Karamjit determined the groups for various video games from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. In the invitation letter, a price of 16,000 Indian rupees was specified to cowl your entire bills for registration within the competitors, from Delhi to Kathmandu and from Kathmandu to Delhi. Niraj deposited 80,000 rupees for the charges of his 5 gamers within the Indian checking account that Karamjit mentioned on 29 October.
Invitation letter.
According to him, the gamers of different groups additionally paid the identical price. The vital charges for the match had been paid by the gamers themselves. ‘The boxing gamers who got here from Delhi had been saying that we had collected cash after struggling so much,’ Niraj instructed Online Khabar.
According to Karamjit’s plan, on 26 November (10 Mansir), all gamers gathered in Delhi. From there, the Indian crew reached Gorakhpur by passenger bus for the South Asian Games. After reserving one other bus from Gorakhpur and touring to Nepal, the Indian crew arrived in Kathmandu at 11 am on November 28 (December 12), someday after the match was supposed to start out.
In which there have been 20 gamers and seven officers from 4 states of India. 3 athletics gamers from Uttar Pradesh, 7 boxing gamers from Delhi, 5 karate gamers from Haryana and 5 wrestling gamers from Punjab have come to Nepal.
Tired from the 60-hour bus journey, the Indian crew stayed on the Kailash Hotel in Garidhara. Karamjit mentioned to Niraj that he had spoken to the organizer, ‘Since you have got simply arrived, your match will likely be held tomorrow. Rest in the present day.’
The match was presupposed to be held at Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu. However, they began doubting the organizers from the night of twenty eighth November when the exercise of the South Asian Games was not seen. However, an individual whom Karamjit met because the organizer mentioned to ensure that the match will likely be held from tomorrow. The crew from India met a Nepali associated to the competitors in Nepal, he mentioned that he’s a karate coach, the Indian crew doesn’t even know his title. ‘I met him for half an hour solely, Karamjit did many of the speaking,’ says Niraj.
The subsequent day, the gamers began getting ready for the competitors. The gamers who had been able to go to the stadium with their sports activities uniforms and supplies had been known as one after the other all through the day. However, he was not taken out of the lodge.
On the night of 29 November (13 Mansir), Karamjit himself mentioned that he didn’t know the venue of the match and that nobody from the organizers had contacted him. Even although they may not play within the competitors, it was additionally mentioned that they might give the certificates of participation and the medal after reaching Gorakhpur. After that, the coaches of all sports activities received right into a battle,’ says Niraj.
On the night time of 29 November, the Indian crew returned house by bus. Niraj determined to remain in Nepal for a couple of days. After reaching Gorakhpur, Karamjit additionally misplaced contact. The affected gamers who got here to Nepal with the thrill of enjoying within the worldwide competitors went house at their very own expense.
Niraj says that he’s staying in Nepal after sending the crew house to search out the gang concerned within the fraud. I’ll converse to Nepal Olympic Committee and Sports Council. I’ll file a criticism with the Sports Ministry of Punjab and Haryana in India,’ Niraj added, ‘in order that our youngsters don’t fall prey to fraud within the title of sports activities.’
The Olympic Committee says: We haven’t any involvement
The Nepal Olympic Committee has expressed its ignorance about the usage of its brand within the invitation of the non-event competitors. The govt secretary of the committee, Sujallal Shrestha, mentioned that aside from the official 27 video games of the Olympics, others should not have the best to make use of the Olympic brand.
World sports activities needs to be delicate in utilizing the Olympic brand. Shrestha mentioned to Onlinekhabar that those that misuse the Olympic brand needs to be punished in every single place within the competitors that isn’t going down.
Whose fault?
The South Asian Games is a giant sports activities pageant that’s held alternately between 7 international locations of South Asia each two years. The thirteenth version of this sport was held in Nepal in 2019. And, it’s occurring in Pakistan in 2023.
Everyone who’s educated about sports activities and associated to sports activities is aware of this truth. Such a contest is organized by the respective nation and the official correspondence for participation is thru the Olympic Committee.
Niraj has mentioned that he has additionally performed karate competitors in India within the title of South Asian Championship. But when requested why he rushed to register his title with out understanding the official nature of the invitation, Niraj says, ‘We had little time. Everything occurred in a rush.’
In the greed of worldwide competitors, the coaches took cash with the gamers and introduced them to Nepal by means of a protracted and tough journey, however the coaches had been harmless within the exploitation of not having the ability to play within the competitors. Both the coaches and the gamers received cheated when they didn’t get all of the details about the competitors their gamers had been going to play.
Many competitions are held in Nepal within the title of Indo-Nepal Championship. Which is organized for the distribution of medals and claims of worldwide success of their respective international locations. Niraj has mentioned that he’ll take the initiative to forestall the gamers from being cheated in the secret towards the spirit of truthful competitors in sports activities.
Four years in the past, this group organized and distributed a contest in Kanchanpur district within the title of the fifth South Asian Games. Mahesh Chand, President of Kanchanpur District Kavadi Association, has signed the certificates given to the Indian athlete who received gold in Taekwondo. When contacted, he mentioned that he had not signed any such certificates.
At that point, a crew got here from India to play a pleasant match in the course of the preparations for the Asian Games. Kavadi was performed with them. I do not understand how my title and signature got here on the taekwondo certificates,’ he instructed Online News.