I will take government consent within 24 hours: Lama

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The Member Secretary of National Sports Council (NSC) Yubaraj Lama today said he would convince the government within 24 hours if the two Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) bodies agree to end the existing crisis.

“If the two bodies agree to become one to end the crisis, I will take the consent from the NSC Board within 10 hours and convince the Cabinet within 24 hours,” said Lama responding to internationally-recognised NOC President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan’s statement.

Pradhan had made it clear he was ready to accept the NSC proposal of incorporating one vice-president and four members of the parallel NOC body reinstated by the Supreme Court. At the same time he had also demanded two things from the government — Cabinet decision of working only with the internationally-recognised NOC and dissolution of the committee registered at the District Administration Office.

“I am ready to help by all means to end the crisis,” said Lama. “Actually this is what I wanted in the beginning, I had asked both the parties to come up with a solution,” he said. Lama welcomed Pradhan’s move and said he was positive towards the statement of the NOC President Pradhan who had said his team was open for dialogue to end the row to work together with the government.

“I think he (Pradhan) has moved one step ahead, which is a good sign,” said Lama. “Eighty per cent of the problems will be solved if the NOC follows national law and the IOC Charter properly,” said Lama, adding the NOC officials to keep sports and the sportspersons at centre.

“The problem has become vague as the officials till today have put them in the centre and decide other things,” he said. “The problem was initially started by the officials themselves and both the committees are full of artists. They should end acting now,” Lama said.

Asked about the call of fresh mandate by the NSC, Member Secretary Lama said the election was one of the solutions foreseen by the NSC. “The first thing I did after taking charge of the office was that I asked both of them to solve the problem by themselves. I never wanted to interfere in this matter as it was not the problem of NSC. I had to look for solutions as they failed to come up with the one. As both the bodies denied making compromises, I called for elections to end the row,” he clarified.

Rana wants ‘honourable sharing’

KATHMANDU: President of the Supreme Court reinstated Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) Rukma Shumsher Rana said he was also ready for talks with the parallel committee headed by Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan.

“We are also open for dialogue but there should be honourable meeting point,” he said. “We will not sit for talks just like that. There should be equal minds to reach consensus,” he said. Rana, however, said his committee was unaware of Pradhan’s proposal of one vice-president and four members. “We are unaware of any proposal but we are ready to sit for talks and for that we need equal sharing,” said Rana.

Rana also criticised Pradhan of playing game in the name of IOC Charter. “I know better than him about the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the charter,” said Rana, the former Advisor of the Asian body. “I never took part in the 2007 elections as described by Pradhan. I had already announced of not contesting in the elections but I went there to attend the General Assembly which was supposed to amend the constitution,” he clarified. “I left the venue as soon as I came to know that was the electoral assembly,” Rana said.

Rana said the whole of the 2007 election process was wrong. “We had prepared a road map and that assembly was supposed to amend the NOC constitution. We had agreed to hold the elections after the approval of the constitution from the IOC and OCA. But Jeevan Ram Shrestha (then Member Secretary of National Sports Council) rampantly added member associations in the NOC to hold the elections,” Rana said. “Anyone can win elections under such circumstances,” he added.

Rana also accused Pradhan of his double standard. “He (Pradhan) has said that he would honour the Supreme Court decision, but do not comply with the order. Can he explain what he means by this?” said Rana.

Rana, however, said he was open for meeting with the parallel committee to end the existing crisis that has dogged Nepal sports badly. “I will discuss with my friends and then come up with a decision. But we all believe that there should be honourable sharing if we are to meet,” Rana said.