Fails to add medals of three events held last year, declares NPC second runners-up instead of Central Region

Kathmandu, December 30

The organisers were in such a hurry to bring down the curtain on the Seventh National Games that they forgot to add medals of three events held last year and declared Nepal Police Club third-place finishers during the closing ceremony at the ANFA Technical Centre in Dharan today.

In fact, the Central Region should have won the second runners-up trophy.

A total of 30 events were held in the sporting extravaganza in the Eastern Region from December 23 to 30, while marathon and three other events were organised a year ago before the games were postponed due to blockade and budget crunch.

National Sports Council Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista had said that medals of the events held last year would be added to the final tally. But only marathon medals were added to the tally.

Tribhuvan Army Club were declared champions in the seventh National Games with 112 gold medals, Nepal APF Club finished runners-up with 48 gold without adding the medals won in the three events held last year. NPC won 40 gold medals, while the Central Region bagged 32 golds.

In the three events held last year, TAC had won 29 gold medals, including 25 in swimming and four in triathlon, while the central region bagged 13 gold seven in swimming and six in body-building. NPC had failed to win a single gold medal last year.

After adding these medals, the Central Region should have finished third in the medal tally with a total of 45 gold medals pushing NPC to fourth position. But an error on part of the organisers robbed the Central Region of third-place.

Chief guest at the closing ceremony Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun handed over the championship trophies to the top three teams. This is not the only lapse on part of the organisers in the games.

From hoisting the national flag upside down at a venue in Biratnagar and holding events at unfit venues, the NSC also failed to keep its words on distributing allowances to athletes.

Citing incomplete construction work, the organisers even shifted the venue of the closing ceremony, apart from changing the chief guest.