Curious case of Sharad Veswakar

'I love scoring goals for England and playing for England. That's one of the reasons I didn't retire – I love playing for my country.' said David Beckham once, despite knowing he did not feature in the future plan of English football team. Arguably, David Beckham is one of the most celebrated names, if you consider European football post 1990s.

Sports psychologists tell you: Pride of playing for the country does make sportsmen run that extra mile, push the barriers a bit further, and makes them feel responsible. Because, in the back of their head, they're thinking about trying to uplift masses that back them.

But can we imagine a situation where a player plays without a country? Impossible you'd say? Then what is the case of Sharad Veswakar, one of the mainstays of Nepali Cricket team?

Sharad Veswakar, who has represented Nepal right from Under-15 level to national cricket team does not have a citizenship of Nepal. Something wrong there? Yours truly says – it's completely insane. It's as if he doesn't exist, except in the record books, where his century for Nepal stands.

Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 says, "Any person born at the time when his father or mother is a citizen of Nepal, shall be a citizen of Nepal by descent." Furthermore, it adds, "A child born to a Nepali female citizen from marriage with a foreign citizen in Nepal and having permanent domicile in Nepal may be granted naturalized citizenship as prescribed, provided the child has not acquired the citizenship of a foreign country on the basis of citizenship of his father."

Yes, Veswakar has a Nepali mother and has been residing in the country as far as he can remember. Yet the boy in his mid-twenties is not our own, at least legally. Worse, this is the status WE have given him. We take a lot of pride in collecting hundreds of thousands of rupees to send SMS to India, just to help a Nepali-speaking person become an Indian Idol (It should be noted that yours truly has no malice against Prashant Tamang or his singing). Yet we act indifferent, when somebody takes pride in playing for us and treat him with disdain.

"President is the only person we've not spoken to, this issue. From the rest we've already received assurances," This is what Nepali captain Paras Khadka had to tell this scribe, during a conversation some time ago. Just over two years ago, a delegation of cricketers had met Madhav Kumar Nepal, then Prime Minister, to return with a bagful of promises. Two Prime Ministers later, the issue is just there, while several thousand more – a number of them non-Nepalis – have become 'proud' citizens of this country.

Over the years, we've seen so many cricketers, who showed a lot of promise at early age, taking to a foreign land, to have a secure future. But this man hasn't budged. Whether he could not go out or did not wish to – is not the question. The question is: Can't somebody stand up and say – you've done us proud and deserve to be a citizen of this country? Not that giving him citizenship would hurt national coffers.

He told this scribe once, "Whenever the issue is raised, I feel as if it's a joke. I try not to think about it and focus on my cricket." But any sane man can understand focus becomes a tad more difficult when you have more serious issues in your head.

Perhaps, it is a joke. Some cruel joke, where he is a victim of his own stardom, for he can't go and pay a few thousand rupees – just like many do – to become a Nepali citizen. Till he musters up courage to do that, perhaps he will remain a refugee in his own country. For we have a habit of forgetting things - taking it too easy - especially if the issues are related to sports, no matter how important.

But, yours truly wishes his status would change and change for good. No matter how faint, hope remains.

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 15th October, 2011)

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Of Departure and Arrival

"I really respected him" – This remark may neither raise eyebrows nor would it register very strongly on anyone's mind. But if you know that it was Sachin Tendulkar making such a remark, you would stick to the word 'really' and start admiring the person, whoever the great batsman is referring to.

Tendulkar was referring to Former Indian captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who passed away on 22^nd of September 2011. It would be interesting to know that Tendulkar was barely a 2-year old when Pataudi played his last International match. It needs sheer genius in a person to earn respect, in the heart of a cricketer who started playing serious cricket, a decade after he had retired.

Most of us, who have grown in the constant shower of cricket, just because we are close to India, have heard of him. Hardly a few have seen him play. Yet we know of him. Probably, among the cricketers who played before the television era, he was the only icon that we knew, with the exception of Sir Don Bradman and Great Garry Sobers. Not many can boast to have such a long shelf-life after retiring, something most sportsmen would envy.

Having seen him only in interviews, except some grainy black and white television footages, yours truly learnt that cricket is just an extension of this princely being. The aura of the Republican Prince – as termed by a cricket writer – was overwhelming. A desire to interview the person behind Ray Ban glasses grew. It's perhaps not worth mentioning that yours truly could only get to as far as meeting Sharmila Tagore, his wife for 4 decades.

As I asked her, how it felt to have been married to a Rockstar cricketer, she would reply, "I married a human being. His cricket never interfered our lives." A line with a smile, which used to floor millions during her film days, now with added affection... A lesson you learn, in life – Keep things simple.

We've seen a lot of cricketers who could not carry the weight of their lineage. Ask, Rohan Gavaskar (son of Sunil Gavaskar) and Liam Botham (son of Ian Botham), how difficult it could be. Mansoor Ali Khan had a proud lineage to live up to, cricket historians and writers still write about Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi's leg glance and his famous opposition to Douglas Jardine's Bodyline tactics.

Yet he became the youngest Test captain of the world – the record remained till Tatenda Taibu became Zimbabwe's captain in 2004 – and made India a team that could win matches abroad (India won its first abroad series under him). He is the one credited with giving Indian cricket a new and proud face, 4 decades before Sourav Ganguly patented the style towards turn of the century. Khan would be remembered for developing Indian spin quartet as a force, akin to what the West Indians developed in form of the pace quartet, albeit much later. All this happened, after he had already lost vision in one of his eyes. Interesting to learn that he donated another one, a week before he died…

One reason why the great Imran Khan said, "… he was a genius of great proportions."

While the cricket world pays farewell to Pataudi, we wait for our next coach, Former Sri Lankan Cricketer Pubudu Dassanayake, who's due to arrive coming week. He has already said that he would want to take Nepal to higher rank and possibly into the World Cup. We would love to see that. He has already proved his mettle, taking Canadian team into the World Cup.

One thing Dassanayake would do well to remember is that his compatriot, Roy Dias has already done the groundwork. He would rather not reinvent the wheel and try to add on to the achievements we've already had. Much will also depend on how 'localized' he gets and tries to earn the respect of the players, who sometimes get complacent and carried away.

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 24th September, 2011)

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The Art of Losing

Nepali youth team did not do well at the AFU U-16 Championship group D Qualifiers at home, despite our best wishes and sizeable crowd support. First two matches, the boys were blanked. Never a good sign if you are pinning your hopes on young talents, when some of the youths in the national team are showing signs of fading early.

Before the start of the series, Coach Sunil Shrestha told us, 'There's not much difference among the sides at the age-group level'. That meant we had a good chance, and we grew hopeful. Of the four countries participating, we were the lowest ranked side. Oman, Saudi Arabia and Syria are ranked ahead of us by FIFA, well 30 places or more. But these were age-group matches. Our boys did not appear too weak, in front of them. And at this level, skill is considered ahead of physique.

But we were blanked.

Losing matches is part and parcel of the game, and would always remain so. It should always be taken that way. Win some, lose some – is a mantra many sports stars reiterate. To top it, we had some important players who were injured. Those who would rally the midfield, Bibek Basnet and Umesh Thapa were out of the team before the tourney began. Some others also picked niggles while in the play.

But the manner of loss should be studied, scrutinized. And maybe a little bit of history too.

The boys, right on the first match against Syria looked out of sorts. There seemed to be no plan. The hold on the ball was not seen. And things hardly improved in the next matches.

But this is one tourney, so that is not important. A few bad days on the field do not make players any lesser.

What the football administrators should actually look into is the fact that our youth team has not won a match against any other nation in last 4 years. After 2007, when the boys defeated mighty Jordan 3-1, we have lost 7 matches and were blanked in 6 of them. The last people to score a goal for Nepali U-16 team were Nirajan Malla and Sujal Shrestha, against Kuwait the same year. Both are in the national team now.

That basically means that the present U-16 players haven't heard of Nepali U-16 team winning, while they've been at the Academy. That doesn't do good to their morale. Losing, like winning, is a habit. You practice for it, everyday. And if you haven't heard of winning ways, the loss creeps into your system, and you start accepting any result as 'it was to be'. The drills become rituals, and players – especially the young ones – do not see a point in them. They just follow orders. The losses start hurting less and less.

Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

And the greatest disservice ANFA could do to football would be ignoring this. This should be the time they do not let this failure look like an orphan. For players would need support from their administrators, especially after morale shattering losses. Otherwise, they would start becoming machines produced to serve substandard products. There is every chance that mediocrity could become their way of life, if left unattended.

There are fears that these young minds may start thinking that winning or losing is not personal. It actually is, despite what Don Corleone said in movie The Godfather. Thinking otherwise may derail them. Unless the loss hurts, one can do nothing about changing the result. They should be told, the sport is played more in mind than on the field these days.

The administrators, Coach included, could do well to tell them the importance of fitness. How to avoid injury at such an age would go a long way in preserving good talents for the future. And we could have our best boys taking the field against any opposition.

Or else, our boys will perfect what we could say: The Art of Losing.

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 17th September, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy: www.goalnepal.com

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Of Awards, Missions and 'My People'

Jess Owens once said, "Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust."

And Owens was arguably one of the most influential athletes of all time, winning 4 gold in Berlin Olympics in 1936, when Hitler staged the game to showcase the Aryan supremacy.

Despite what Owens said, awards do, and would continue to, mean a lot to the athletes. These are the reasons why they play for, when the game they play is not enough to buy them sustenance. Probably that's why Pulsar Sports Awards gets a lot of publicity. So much that players go ahead players or their fans go ahead getting pamphlets printed and paste it around the walls. So much, fan groups rally around requesting for SMS votes. The national football team went to the eastern region, to play friendly matches against Sunsari, Morgan and Jhapa – with the permission from ANFA – to gather support for its captain, who happens to be one of the nominees for Popular Player of the Year.

At the risk of irritating a lot of sports journos, yours truly would also like to argue that the awards have become popular also because it is organized by Nepal Sports Journalist Forum. Most sports journos are affiliated with the forum, and the news gets month long (or more coverage in popular newsprint), making it widely read, and thus popular. One question could be asked here: Would it get as much coverage, if some other organization covered it?

If the answer is yes, there is nothing wrong with it. But if the answer is no, rethinking is needed. Are we overdoing it?

Despite this criticism, it has to be reaffirmed that the award has done more good than bad to the morale of the players, and should be lauded along with the players who receive the trophies.

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As far as Nepali sports sector is concerned Yuvaraj Lama is the man to watch (and it is being said after a lot of deliberation). The Member Secretary of the National Sports Council, since his appointment, has rarely missed the headlines for more than a week.

And now he's back to it again, announcing Mission SAG 2012. Commendable, if you notice this is 2011 and never did we announce preparation for South Asian Games, this early. Probably this is the first time, NSC has a plan, with a four-phase training programme, with each phase having quarter of a year implementation schedule. Probably this is the first time, science has taken precedence over guess work. Probably this is the first time, determination, psychology and suitability to the sport, is to be recorded. These were the words alien to sports practice.

Histrionics is Lama's forte, and many who have watched him in filmdom will vouch for it. He loves a big stage, and makes the best use of it. This is evident from his goal of 40 gold medals for Nepal, in next year's SAG. Quite a climb, you would think, if you remember we bagged 8 in the last edition in Dhaka, last year.

Daydream? Not exactly… But, maybe ambitious, if not unattainable… The Member Secretary will have to get his entire team – which includes of groups and subgroups with different interests, occupying spots the NSC – on one point agenda, if we were to reach close to his goal.

We have not forgotten the promises he made when appointed to the post. Of transparency, good governance and keeping slate clean as far as political appointments are concerned. He has failed once already, by appointing 'his men' at NSC, giving in to political temptation of doling out jobs to party cadres. This is interesting, if we take into account some of the employees at the organization were removed, as too many people were considered 'unnecessary'. No competition… No openness… No transparency…

Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar wrote, “The evil that men do lives after them”… We believe, so does one's good deeds… The Member Secretary may well decide what lives after he says goodbye to his position. 

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 10th September, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy: www.ekantipur.com

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Rupak Memorial Awards: A shot misfired?

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) awarded 12 of its prized possessions this week. Since it started, Rupak Memorial Awards have held its position in Nepali football. And it would have saddened former national captain and FIFA referee Rupak Sharma - who passed away in an unfortunate accident - to see that the award was discontinued for some years.

For restarting the awards, ANFA deserves a pat on its back. Restarting a discontinued event to an organization is akin to a player trying to force his way back into the game after injury. It's a mental fight, which gets tougher by every passing day. And ANFA should be lauded. After all, these prizes are what makes the players struggle harder, compete better.

However, much as the restart needs to be congratulated, it should be critically viewed. There are some chinks in the whole episode that should not be ignored and if not corrected in time, would neither improve ANFA's image nor its working style. Some questions would demand answer.

The first of them being, how can we have two best players for every year? The awards are constituted to felicitate excellence and unless the real best is awarded, the whole purpose is lost. It is easy to select two each year as it gives selectors easier option of not leaving the second best; but it compromises the dignity of awards. The merit of awards comes under scrutiny. Mind you, it has not come as exception but general rule. Second bests are second bests, no matter how good they are. Silver medalists are never termed champions.

It would be sad to know that ANFA, or the selection team headed by former national coach Bhim Thapa selected two players for each year, just to please everyone. But awards are not meant for keeping everyone happy. It is to honor and inspire excellence. Short cuts should not be preferred.

The other question that could pop up to an inquisitive mind, would be: How were Bikash Malla and Ritesh Thapa named the best players of the year gone by. Now the point of argument should not be mistaken here. It is not to diminish the service they have provided to Nepali football. They have, to the best of their capability, done a good job under the bars.

But the point here is, both these players are not the first choice goalkeeper for the national team. It is Kiran Chemjong, who has pushed his way as the number one keeper in Nepal. And his name was missing from the list. How can the top one be left out and two second bests are honored? We should note that Bikash Malla – who showed a lot of promise during his earlier days – plays for the Army Club now, which has not even been among the top 3 sides in the National League. If the reason to choose these players over the top keeper is to appease someone, the award loses its value.

One more question would come for awarding Nirajan Rayamajhi for the year 2064. Nirajan has been a great servant of Nepali football, he shares the record scoring most international goals for Team Nepal along with Hari Khadka. But for the year in question, national league was not held and Rayamajhi was playing for NRT, which hardly gets to play many tournaments. How many matches did he play to get the award?

Rayamajhi deserves accolades and also awards, for what he has been. But giving it to him for unjustified reasons would only lower the nobility of the player and the award.

Some of players who have played with distinction over these years, like Tashi Tsering, Kumar Thapa, Surendra Tamang and national captain Sagar Thapa, are missing from the list. Their contribution needs to be recognized.

One fact that should make ANFA management happy is that 4 out of 8 awarded players are the product of first batch of ANFA academy. This should be an indicator ANFA takes seriously, and pump in more effort in grooming the players.

And as far as awards are concerned, players should be happy that they're happening, at least…

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 27th August, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy: www.myrepublica.com

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National Games: Opportunity, despite Challenges

CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli is seen playing Dandi Biyo while inaugurating a Sports Tourism Festival. Circa: April 2011

The news of National Sports Council (NSC) proposing to organize National Games in the first quarter of coming year must have brought back butterflies in the abdomen of the numerous athletes. This normally happens, even to the top players; just before they are take on an opponent in a match. Not necessarily a sign of nervousness, but the stress of approaching duel. Stress, by itself, is not bad.

Seven months away it is, yet some of the players must already be licking their lips at a chance of another round of competitions. For if they're not, they're not worthy of being the athletes we would be proud of. An athlete, like a warrior, should welcome any opportunity of a round of duel.

But for most players in the country, the duels – keeping in mind that our players mostly do well in individual events – are too few and far in between. This is why the National Games holds a lot of importance, especially for the players who are not already representing the nation at international competitions. Almost all the players, barring a few who take sport as a hobby, dream of playing for their country at the top level. And the National Games provide them the stage where they can upstage a present champion; the podium where they announce their coming; the platform where they humiliate the also-rans.

Moreover, the multi-sport jamboree brings in a lot of fanfare, makes the youngsters dream. Dreams of podium finish; Dreams of clinching the honours; Dreams of rising to the occasion; Dreams of pushing themselves harder...

 One should also mention here that the Games are to be held in Far Western region. It should only help develop and nurture sports culture.

And for these reasons, the announcement or proposal – whatever it might be called as of now – has to be lauded.

Having said all these, the challenges are still many. The proposed Games, which are to be held in the far western region, are still not a certainty; it still needs the nod of ministerial cabinet. And in given circumstances, the members of the cabinet are counting hours of being in power, rather than weeks or months.

The players and sport administrators must be keeping their fingers crossed. They must be fighting, in their mind, the possibility of news that the Games are postponed. After all, it has already been done earlier this year.

And even the government gives its nod, some major challenges remain. That of infrastructure. With just over half a year to go, how many grounds – forget stadia or arena – can be built? Even if they are built in a jiffy, what would be the standard of infrastructure? National Games is also to prepare players for international competitions. Would it be possible to guarantee that? Rallying 5 regional sport development bodies and 72 district bodies to focus on the Games is a tough ask by itself, since it is time consuming. And to top all that is a small matter of: Funds. 30 million Rupees has been allocated for infrastructure and you don't need to be a Chartered Accountant to say, "It's not enough."

In an interview to yours truly, right after being nominated for the post of Member Secretary of NSW, Yubraj Lama had spelt out priorities for his tenure. Establishing Sports College topped his agenda, while regularizing multi-sport competitions (like National Games) and resolving conflict between sport bodies (like Nepal Olympic Committee and other associations) also were on his list, as he said.

In the latest announcement of NSC, initiatives have been taken for these areas, by forming committees and taskforces, which might even work.

But those, who are not Lama fans, would term these decisions as populist. They could say that the government will change and his days on the hot seat are numbered. He may not get opportunity to implement them, relieving him of the burden.

So the NSC Member Secretary, Yubraj Lama, must have stressful days ahead. To get permission to organize event, and that too successfully…

But then, as we earlier mentioned – Stress, by itself, is not bad. Let's see how he lives it.

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 13th August, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy http://xnepali.net/ihost/dandi-biyo-is-it-the-nepali-national-game.

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Promise's there: Time to Act!

Many cricket fans, those who favour game's global expansion, would be delighted to see Zimbabwe's re-entry into the Test arena after almost half a decade. The cricket world, especially the non-Test playing countries, must be looking at it with the same interest as they did 19 years ago, when Dave Houghton's amateurs took to the field against India.

This is exactly the moment when Zimbabwe batsman, Tatenda Taibu – who had been in self imposed exile after controversially resigning from the captaincy in 2005 – took the opportunity to tell the world that all is still not well with Zimbabwe Cricket. He said, he spoke out 'as a senior member in the side'.

Tatenda Taibu is one name Nepali cricketers and fans alike, would never forget. He was the one who had stopped our boys' dream run at U-19 Cricket World Cup in 2002, beating Nepal in the final of Plate Championship.

As Nepal U-19 team, led by Prithu Baskota, plays the U-19 World Cup 2012 qualifiers, the memories of Taibu's conquest over our team and our boys' performance in 2002 in New Zealand comes back flashing.

It's because that tournament was a special one for Nepali cricketers and fans. A little less than a decade ago, in that tournament, Nepali Colts, led by Binod Das, announced themselves to the world – as former Sri Lankan Test batsman Roy Dias took the team to New Zealand. Nepali boys had a close loss against English boys then, and were able to beat Pakistan, ranked better than Nepal on any day. This had made Nepali boys a rage in New Zealand, who only knew this country because their favorite son Edmund Hillary was one of the firsts to have climbed Mt Everest.

"How do you play in the mountains," they would ask. "What are you doing in Nepal," then Coach Roy Dias used to be ask.

The questions had helped Nepal being recognized as a cricket country. Perhaps no other non-British colony showed as much promise in cricket. Beating a Test country like Pakistan cannot be a fluke.

Taibu was player of the tournament then, as current Australia batsman Cameron White was the leading runscorer.

Fast forward a decade later, Taibu is a 'senior' batsman for Zimbabwe, and Cameron White is an essential in Australian limited over plans. And our boys, who played alongside them are waiting, for yet another opportunity. 9 years ago, nobody was questioning the talent Binod Das & Co. had. They looked destined to rise and shine. But, despite being on the launchpad, we lost the plot. Maybe we took it too easy, we ignored the essentials, we forgot we had a road to take. Somewhere, we needed cricket administration to be 'smarter' than they showed.

Similar promise has been shown by the team led by Prithu Baskota in the U-19 World Cup Qualifiers this time. How else do you describe a figure of 10 overs, 6 maidens, 9 runs for two wickets, by Bhuvan Karki, followed by overhauling the target with 30 overs to spare, as our boys beat Kenya. It's not only the win, but the way team is playing should give us hope. Despite losses – which have been against the team that have better cricket infrastructure – the wins have been emphatic. The fight has been spot on.

But then, we should not sit on the laurels we get while being termed as promising. For every dream that you see, you have to wake up to realize it. Promises would remain only that, if cricket administration does not remain alert. Boys are doing their bit on the field, authority needs to do theirs. Engaging them in cricket round the year would be important.

In 2006, we won the Plate championship at the U-19 World Cup, our best performance in terms of title so far. Then, Ireland was captained by Eoin Morgan and Sri Lanka was led by Angelo Mathews. Now, Morgan is a vital part of English team and Matthews has shown his worth for Sri Lanka. Our captain in that episode was Kanishka Chaugain. He now lives in US...

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's weekly sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 6th August, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy www.ekantipur.com. It was published in the The Kathmandu Post.

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Following the Royal Takeover

The army began cordoning our office premises at around 9:30 (0445GMT) in the morning, some half an hour ahead of the Royal Proclamation… the state-owned radio and television had already announced that King Gyanendra was going to address the nation. Nothing more than that had been said, except that the King had summoned the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and chiefs of security agencies for a Royal audience.

As the group of armymen covered the periphery of the premises, an army major, in his military outfit and a gun, asked for an entry into the television station's newsroom. He politely said that he was here to provide security to the office in case an incident like September 1 occurs (On Sept 1, following the killing of 12 Nepalis in Iraq, there were riots in the city...the rioters had vandalized the office, burning several vehicles and pelting stones on the office building).

All of us, almost the entire news team, watched the Royal Proclamation live on the state owned television. Following the proclamation, the army major asked whether he could visit the control room. By then, the telephone lines were already cut and the cellular phones were cut during the address to the nation itself.

He was promptly shown the studio and news control room of the television station. A lot of confusion had already been created with the announcement of emergency, following the sacking of the then government. A lot of fundamental rights were suspended with the announcement.

The following rights have been suspended:

• Freedom of opinion and expression
• Freedom to assemble peacefully and without arms
• Freedom to form unions and associations
• Press and Publication Rights
• Rights against preventive detention
• Right to information
• Right to property
• Right to privacy
• Right to constitutional remedy through writ jurisdiction (Writs like mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo warranto), except habeas corpus

As a matter of fact, not many of us knew what line to follow as far as the news was concerned. So one of the bulletin spot was used to re-telecast the proclamation. In the following bulletin, all the scripts were screened by the Army major. An armed army man was present within the news control room throughout the bulletin. The screening continued throughout the day, including all the bulletins. The same was the case with all of our daily publications and the FM radio news. The armymen
cordoned the premises throughout the night.

The following day, King announced a cabinet of ministers. So we prepared a report on all the cabinet members, which included their positions. Incidentally, the report also talked about the ministers holding some important positions during the Panchayat regime (the non-party political system, which was overthrown by the popular movement in 1990). That news, aired at 1200 local time, was said to be bold under the prevailing circumstances. The army major told us that the news should not go in the format written and those parts had to be deleted from it. So those parts
were removed in our subsequent bulletins.

The same day, we had aired an international news, which had it that the Marxist guerrillas had killed 14 Colombian marines, in Colombia. We ran the news in three of our bulletins, starting in the morning. The army major, very polite in his conversations, requested to remove that news as well. The reason: that could be detrimental to our security forces' morale. The word communist had its effect.

The armymen stayed within the premises for three days and the screening went on a regular basis. One of our bulletins had to be aired two minutes late, because the Major had not finished reading the news then. On the third evening, the army left. But before leaving, they cautioned us to follow the guidelines issued by the government while disseminating news. And we have been following that ever since.

An interesting pattern of news had emerged in the whole media. While some papers had editorials on archery, weather and significance of socks, our regular section of vox-pop in the prime time news, called Janamat, had people being asked the importance of fruits in one's diet. While that was being aired, the control room crew had a hearty laugh. That also prompted the news-anchor to smile. Eventually, the chief of news was asked from a certain person close to the Royal Palace (although he did not reveal the identity and name of the person) on why did the news-anchor had that mocking smile on his face, while reading that particular section. Well, perceptions...


[Editor's note: This report was written several days ago and recounts the moment immediately preceding the coup when the military took control of Nepali broadcast facilities prior to the announcement of the coup by King Gyanendra.]


This article, written by yours truly, was published on Radio Free Nepal, an online blog, where articles were published anonymously, following takeover of Executive powers by then King Gyanendra. This article appeared under the headline: An Account from Kantipur TV News Staff on Censoring, on February 19, 2005. 
The reason it has been re-posted here is to remind us, what we have braved in past, so that we do not lose the achievements of Jana Andolan II. 
Picture courtesy: Radio Free Nepal

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A sign of Good Times to come?

Heard a conversation in a public vehicle: God must be Nepali. For he made sure we do well in two sports in a single day.

Needless to say, the person in question was talking about Nepali football team's performance against Jordan (2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers) and U-19 cricket team's start in ICC U-19 World Cup qualifiers.

Yes, Nepali Colts beat Afghanistan convincingly. Most were expecting the result, may be not with such a margin though.

But in another case, Jordan advanced to the group stage of the qualifiers, beating Nepal by a huge margin. The scores, in aggregate, stood at 10-1 in favor of Jordan, while Nepal managed merely a draw at home. So what's the fuss about? A draw?

However, if you look carefully, there is a reason for joy, for elation, for exuberance and for deciding which nationality God has. For, the draw followed a drubbing. And for the fans, a draw was as good as a win. It was almost a rise from the ashes à la Phoenix. For the die-hard fans, there are many lives lost and gained in those 90 minutes that their stars sweat it out.

Forget fans, how many 'realistic' pundits would have given Nepal a 1-1 draw, at Dashrath Stadium, after a 9-goal storm hit them in Amman.

The realists always ask you: What do you do when you have your back pushed to the wall? …when you hit the rock bottom?

For theorists, the answer may be simple: Bounce back. But then, only those who face the situation know that it's always easier said than done. They say, nothing succeeds like success. The corollary is also true. Failure also breeds its own kind. When your back is to the wall, you start taking support of that wall. It becomes your companion, and you start finding some comfort in it. You start going though the motion… run-of-the-mill stuff. So much that you start enjoying it, making it difficult for you to come back.

At such moments, it is necessary to break the thought process. Once that chain is broken, parity can be restored. In this case, Nepal's climb in FIFA ranking must have helped. After all, we became the number one football side in South Asia. Some pride restored off the field.

Apparently, following the 9-0 humiliation, Nepal's British coach had told the boys, "You don't become a bad player after one game." Inspiring? Maybe, but the coaches don't go and play. It's for the boys to face the heat.

Even in pre-match press conference, Roberts was quoted as saying that they (the team, including himself) wanted to put pride back into Nepal and want to please everyone. The captain, however, sounded more circumspect, not promising much. Somehow, the fans were worried. "Are the players in right frame of mind to play this game," they wondered.

But once the match started, worry was put to rest. The boys were in the zone and felt at home. The fans could do their job – cheering. In sport, as in life, some questions are answered only through actions.

Going to Amman, to play the first leg, Nepali team was underprepared, under-practiced and showed lethargy on the field. The football administrators should take some blame for that, for they know in advance when the national team plays. And they are supposed to prepare them for big matches. Nothing big about that, it's their job.

Amazingly, not much changed in 5 days – after match in Amman, but the result did. One thing that changed was that the players realized or made to realize why they were playing – for their shirts. And the performance was there for all to see. Some would like to call it moral victory.

Sourav Ganguly, the person credited to make Indian cricket team a fighting unit, said once, "I do not understand the meaning of moral victories." But then, that was Indian captain talking. For fans, that's what it is all about.

And for the players, maybe they can take a leaf out of their coach's quote and remember - You don't become a great player after one game, either. Could it be just the start we needed?

(PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 30th July, 2011)

Disclaimer: The picture shown in the post is courtesy www.ekantipur.com. It was published in the The Kathmandu Post epaper.

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Full stop for Fed Express? Maybe not

And the Fed Express crashed, after going 2 sets up, for the first time in 179 Grand Slam matches he’s played. The Muhammad Ali look-alike – although a much softer and more erratic version - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did the unthinkable, stopping clocks and hearts at 4:24 PM on Centre Court on Wimbledon.

Tim Henman, who carried the British torch (read the lone hope) at the Wimbledon towards the turn of the century, had tipped Roger Federer to win the title this time around. The logic was, Federer has become more carefree with age. And that would help him take more risk and kill the opponents. Alas! Henman’s prediction missed just as his volleys did at the Wimbledon’s 4 semi-finals.

Henman may not have forgotten the year 2001, when he beat the newcomer Federer in 4 sets at a quarter-final on the same stage. And he might have recognized, even then, that this 20-year old had, what he himself did not have. But, he may well be as shell shocked as we are after this quarter-final.

Shocked we are. For, Federer had collected as many fans, if not more, as any player in the history of Tennis. For, he restarted the debate “who’s the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)?” For, he stamped his authority in the world of Tennis and finally settled the debate, appearing in an unprecedented 23 career Grand Slam finals, including 10 consecutive appearances.

But Federer did not become Fed Express just because he was number one for 237 weeks at a stretch. Not just because he appeared in 18 of 19 finals between 2005 Wimbledon and 2010 Australian Open. The Fed Express he became because he made anyone else feel like also-ran for extended period. The Fed Express he became because he added flair of Boris Becker to consistency of Ivan Lendl. To us, he made Pete Sampras look like a robot. The Fed Express he became because he made cricket look boring, as Australia was invincible, West Indies were buried while Sachin Tendulkar was showing signs that he was mortal after all. All with a racket in hand and imagination in the head.

Tennis hasn’t seen many baseliners as comfortable coming to the nets, exhibiting rare backhand smash. He was the one. Anyone else hasn’t had their motion termed as a great liquid whip. Anyone else hasn’t prompted Jimmy Connors to say, "In an era of specialists, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist...or you're Roger Federer."

Ivan Lendl once said, “Grass is for cow”, frustrated as he failed to win any title on the surface. Federer proved that silken elegance and offense both have a place on grass. He treaded on it, he owned it.

We sat in awe, as he, along with Rafael Nadal revived the legacy of great Tennis rivalry. We were reminded of Borg-McEnroe and Edberg-Becker rivalry that made Tennis exhilarating again. That too in 21^st century, when we thought Tennis is all about rising hemlines and designer shows. We loved Nadal; We loved Federer a wee bit more, for the grace he showed after losing to a younger and brasher player on clay and later, even on grass.

He would lose to Nadal – as Nadal lifted his game to the level of insanity, playing against Federer – time after time, in finals. We would think, “Greatness too, has a shelf life”. But when commentators termed him old, we’d scoff. “He’s still in 20s”, we’d say, “Next time!”

A year and a half without title? Not palatable for a champion. But then we were convinced, this Wimbledon would be his. And then came Tsonga. Two sets down, but he hung on, like the Great Ali he resembles. ‘Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee’. He stung, with a serve at 133 miles per hour. Fed Express stopped. For us, Wimbledon was over.

Post match, Federer said, "Except the score, many things went right". Next year when he returns – as we, the fans want – we would want that the score goes right, too. For he, more than anyone else, deserves the title for the 7^th time.


PS: The write-up appeared in Yours Truly's sports column - OFFSIDE - in The Kathmandu Post, on 2nd July, 2011)

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