I used to cheer up saying, “Come on Sagar dai... Go! Go!! Go!!!. Yes you can do it...”, We bunked our classes to go to Rangashala to watch every match, waited in the long queues to buy tickets so that we didn’t miss any second of the football matches you played in. All the football lovers are saddened and shocked to hear about your arrest on charges of match fixing. How could you guys think of doing such a crime against the nation and the football fans? Involving in match-fixing is betrayal of the country on one hand, and an attack on the spirit of sportsmanship on the other.

Yes it is a criminal offense and you should be punished to the severest possible extent. At the same time the regulating body should focus on the motive that led the players to do such shameful deeds. Obviously, they did it for money. Whatever the budget the Ministry of Sports has been allocating for the development of sports is not enough to enhance the morale of the players. But the players must not indulge in such acts that denigrate the image of the players themselves and the nation.

Gehendra, Kathmandu

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National players skipper Sagar Thapa along with his deputy Sandip Rai and others three national players have hurt the national sentiment by indulging in match fixing for several years. That’s why I always think how the low profile Philippines beat our national team and why it losses to India when it is a better team. They are all traitors and the court should take action against them under treason against the nation. In the future all the national players should be monitored closely and barred from meeting others in private places. When they are playing for the nation they must be kept together in a closed camp in the presence of football officials. They have sold their personal and national image for US$ 5000. Shame on all of them!

Prabal Rai, Via e-mail

Challenges

After the promulgation of the new constitution, Nepal is confronting challenges of crisis of fuel due to the “unofficial” blockade by India. It is also creating a humanitarian crisis as economic activities have been brought to a standstill. This crisis has created great loss in almost all the sectors, including households of Nepal. Since the Panchyat era India has adopted the policy of economic blockade to coerce the landlocked country to fall in line with its political agenda that is detrimental to its national interest. While addressing the Legislature-Parliament after being elected as the 38th PM, KP Sharma Oli said that it is the right of the landlocked country to have transit right to the sea to carry out its trade with third countries. Nepal has also signed the trade and transit treaties with India and a long-term agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation for the supply of petroleum products. India must abide by these treaties.

Ganesh Adhikari, via e-mail