KATHMANDU: Nepal’s preparation for the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) formally began today as the sports governing body, National Sports Council (NSC), announced a three-phase training programme. The NSC Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary outlined details of Nepal’s preparation plans for the regional games slated for January 29 to February 9 next year in Dhaka. “We have come up with three-phase programme as part of the preparation,” said Chaudhary. Under the first phase, which has itself been divided into ‘A’ and ‘B’ stages, a total of 676 players and 127 coaches has begun the preliminary selection procedures from today. The preliminary ‘A’ phase programme will conclude on September 24. The numbers will be reduced to 465 players and 95 coaches for the phase ‘B’, which runs from October 4 to November 17. The NSC will coordinate with the member associations to adjust other deserving players who do not meet the primary selection criteria. NSC has set the fifth National Games as the basis for the preliminary selection. Top four players of the Games in individual events and top two sides in team events make up the selection. Best players will then be selected for the second phase and kept under closed camp training, commencing from November 18 to December 29. “The third phase will see special training that starts from December 30 to January 28. The NSC also has plans to send certain players for foreign training. The NSC has proposed a budget of Rs 115.63 million from the government. The budged covers expenses beginning from preparation to participation. Nepal will participate in all 23 disciplines included at the SAG including archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, football, golf, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu. “Keeping in mind the prospect of medals, Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) has already sent a formal request to the SAG organising committee to include women’s events in few disciplines,” informed the NOC Joint Secretary Deep Raj Gurung. Gurung said that they have asked the organisers to include women events in Judo, Volleyball and Weightlifting. Also, NOC has sought amendments in weight categories in disciplines like Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Wushu and Shooting — events in which Nepal have been more successful in the past. “The weight category included in some of these disciplines do not meet the international standard,” said Gurung.