RNB nets Prithu as Brand Ambassador

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: RNB Business Pvt Ltd has signed the Under-19 national cricket team skipper Prithu Baskota as its Brand Ambassador for one year.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Prithu and Director of RNB Business Pvt Ltd Binay Shrestha, the sponsors would provide Prithu with the cricket kits worth Rs 100,000 over the period of one year. Apart from Binay, former Under-19 National team member Raj Shrestha and national cricketer Nishesh KC have been operating the RNB Business Pvt Ltd, the authorised distributors of India’s SM Company.

Chief coach of Nepali national team Pubudu Dassanayake handed over the SM bat to Prithu at the signing ceremony. Prithu is the second Nepali cricketer after national team skipper Paras Khadka to receive sponsorship from RNB Buiness Pvt Ltd. “I would like to thank RNB for the sponsorship and hope this will continue in future as well,” said the U-19 skipper Prithu. “I will try my best to live up to the expectations,” said Prithu, on the eve of the team’s departure to Australia for the ICC U-19 World Cup slated for August 11-26 in Queensland.

Coach Dassanayake was happy with the developments in the last six months. “It is very important that we develop in other areas of the game, including financial aspect and equipment,” he said. “I am very happy with the RNB a it is a huge support and a big boost for the players. I hope you will sponsor other player as well,” Dassanayake added.

Three cricketers waiting for visas

KATHMANDU: The Under-19 national cricket team is leaving for Australia to participate in the ICC U-19 World Cup, but three players — seamers Avinash Karn, Saurav Khanal and Ram Naresh Giri — are still waiting for their visas from the Australian Embassy. “The Australian Embassy has sought for more documents from us as the three players fall under ‘minor’ category,” said Ashok Nath Pyakurel, General Secretary of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). “It is not true that they were rejected by the Embassy. The Embassy has asked for consent letter from their parents and their visas have been held for the time being. We hope to get the visas once the documents are submitted but they have slim chances of travelling with the squad tomorrow,” he added. Pyakurel said the players might go with assistant coach Jagat Tamatta — who is not scheduled to go with the team — after a couple of days. “We will decide on that matter tomorrow,” added Pyakurel. Other two members of the squad — assistant manager Sunil Man Amatya and technical analyst Raman Siwakoti — were rejected by the Embassy. “We have not received any information about them. So I think they have been refused the visas,” he added.