kathmandu: Almost after seven months of winning the ACC Under-19 Women’s Cricket Tournament in Thailand, the Youth and Sports Ministry today honoured the team members at a ceremony here.

Ministry for Youth and Sports Ganesh Nepali handed over Rs 10,000 each to the

14 players and coach. Nary Thapa had led the team to victory in Nepal’s second international outing last December.

Out of the 14 players and coach, only six cricketers - Nary, Maya Rawat, Rubina Chhetri, Sonu Khadka, Rekha Rawal and Gita Chudal - were present at the ceremony. The six players were also the members of the Nepali team that returned yesterday from Malaysia after finishing third in the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.

The ministry also felicitated record making bowler Rubina Chhetri on the occasion. The Ministry gave away Rs 25,000 to Rubina, who became the first ever Nepali cricketer to take a hat-trick in international cricket when she took five wickets in five balls against Singapore in the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Cricket Tournament in Kuala Lumpur. Minister Nepali also handed over Rs 10,000 provided by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).

The CAN also feted Nary Thapa, who was adjudged the best bowler of the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Cricket Tournament after she took 14 wickets in six matches she played. Nary received Rs 10,000.

Meanwhile, the Youth and Sports Minister Nepali also handed over the ICC Centrnary awards to the CAN officials. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had awarded CAN President Binay Raj Pandey, Vice President Upendra Prasad Bhattarai, Secretary Shashi Dutta Pandey, Member Naresh Shrestha and former Vice President TB Shah with the honours.

Three of them, Pandey duo and Bhattarai, received the awards from Minister Nepali, while two others Shrestha from Biratnagar and Shah from Birgunj will receive the honours at a separate ceremony in their respective regions. “We will organise separate programme in the regions to honour them,” said CAN President Pandey.

Pandey has served the Nepali cricket at different capacities

for 40 years. Bhattarai, who also runs the Baluwatar Cricket Academy and owns Baluwatar Cricket Club, has been actively involved

in cricket since the last 15 years. TB Shah contributed his 34 years

in Nepali cricket, while Sashi Pandey has been serving the Nepali cricket for the last three decades. Naresh Shrestha is involved in cricket for more than two and half decades.

Former President Jai Kumar Nath Shah is the only Nepali sports administrator to have won the ICC honour — ICC Global Award in 2007. Region No 5 (Nepalgunj) was awarded with the Women’s Cricket Initiative Award by the ICC in 2007.