Panta passes away

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s first international scorer Riddhi Bhakta Panta passed away Saturday morning at the age of 71. Panta, who was popularly known as Baabe Dai in cricket fraternity, was undergoing treatment at Himal Nurshing Home.

He was suffering from Pneumonia for a long time. Panta played for Gairidhara Cricket Club and turned to umpiring and scoring after his retirement. He is survived by son Rajiv Panta, who represented Bagmati in national cricket, and a daughter.