Kathmandu, June 4:

The dissolved four national associations today demanded the resignation of National Sports Council (NSC) member secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha accusing him of indulging into grave irregularities.

Nepal Shooting Association (NSA), Nepal Archery Association (NAA), Nepal Handball Association (NHA) and Nepal Billiards, Pool and Snooker Association (NBPSA) — the four associations reformed by the NSC — formed a Nepal Sports Struggle Committee under the convenorship of Kishor Bahadur Karki, president of the dissolved NSA, to protest against the NSC move.

The struggle committee, at a press meet, announced a five-point demand in the first phase. Apart from Shrestha’s resignation, they have also planned to submit memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Education and Sports Minister Pradeep Nepal, as well as to top political leaders. They announced a rally from Thapathali to NSC office in Tripureshwor before holding a corner meet at the NSC premises and hang symbolic black flags at the NSC and its surrounding territories.

The president of the dissolved NAA Raju (Lal Bahadur) Gurung said that he was moving to District Administration Office to report against Shrestha. “He threatened me for life when I called him to inquire about the dissolution of the committee. I am filing a complaint against him (member secretary) at the DAO tomorrow,” he said, portraying the member secretary as a corrupt official in the sports fraternity. “He (member secretary) demanded financial help from me before going to South Asian Games last year,” said Gurung adding that the inability to comply his demand then resulted into dissolution of his association.

Dipendra Upreti, president of the dissolved NBPSA; Bijay Rajan Shrestha, general secretary of the dissolved NAA and Prasanna Man Shrestha, general secretary of the dissolved NHA were also present on the occasion. “We will not allow him to dictate in such a autocratic way,” they said.

They also challenged the member secretary to produce proofs against them. “We challenge him to produce the concrete proofs that shows us as being failed associations. We will leave the office without any grudge in that case,” they said.