KATHMANDU, July 19

Newly appointed Member Secretary of National Sports Council Keshav Kumar Bista today said he accepted the responsibility of sports supremo to to raise the standard of Nepali sports.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), Bista said the NSC was ready tackle the challenges of Nepali sports with the help of journalists. “Media gives the clear picture and that will help me to move ahead by correcting the mistakes,” said Bista, who was welcomed by NSJF President Ajay Phuyal and IPP Niranjan Rajbanshi.

Bista also requested the sports journalists to check the facts before disseminating the news. “One headline is enough to ruin the career of an official who needs to spend more than two decades to get the position,” he said. “I request you to publish the facts as one wrong information is enough to damage anyone’s image and it hurts,” he said. “I saw reports that I helped three players flee in South Korea and I was the Member of the NSC at that time. Both information are wrong,” he said.

Bista clarified that he had to take the responsibility of sepak takraw in the Asian Games. “I was there in Incheon as the acting president of Nepal Sepak Takraw Association and unfortunately one of our players disappeared hours before we were scheduled to leave for airport. We did our best to find him and notified everyone about the incident,” he said. “As long as the situation of Nepali sports remains the same, those incidents happen. That’s why we have to raise the standard of sports,” he said.

President Phuyal urged Bista to work for the development rather than getting involved in politics. “Even today we remember Sharad Chandra Shah whenever we talk about the development of Nepali sports. We have been using the infrastructure built during his time four decades ago,” he said. “Nepali sports is like a virgin land and there are lots of works to be done. “Media will play constructive role if NSC takes the right direction,” Phuyal said.

NSJF IPP and Member of AIPS-Asia Rajbanshi briefed Bista about the NSJF and its activities. “We are a group of professional sports journalists who will be in the role of watchdog,” said Rajbanshi. He also hoped the relation between the two parties would be smooth in the tenure of Bista. “We are a part of Nepali sports and we will be always there for the good works done by the NSC,” he said.