Kathmandu, December 14:

Speakers at the National Sport Identification Seminar urged the National Sports Council (NSC) to consider popularity and cost of the sport first.

The NSC concept paper said that indigenous, socially acceptable, fitting to the nation’s geographical structure, easy access and cost effective sport should be the national sport. The concept paper, presented by NSC Member Secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha, stressed that the sport should help the national integrity.

Cricket Association of Nepal President Binay Raj Pandey said: “The national sport should have local base and should be adjustable to international structure.” Nepal Taekwondo Association General Secretary Deep Raj Gurung accused Youth and Sports Ministry of not taking the issue seriously. Minister Gopal Shakya and Secretary Shyam Prasad Mainali left the seminar after the inauguration. “They should be serious in such matters,” he said.

ANFA Vice President Kumar Jung Thapa, NSJF President Niranjan Rajbanshi, Nepal Police AIG Ramesh Chand, NNIPA President Deepak Bista, APF AIG Sanat Kumar Basnet, President of Nepal Volleyball Association Ganga Bahadur Thapa Magar, President of Republican Sports Federation Jayandra Chand also commented on the paper.