Kathmandu, March 1:

The agitating National Republic Sports Organisation, Nepal (NRSON) agreed to withdraw their lock out at the National Sports Council (NSC) after Minister for Education and Sports Prof Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, who is also the president of the sports supreme body, made the commitment to fulfil their seven-point agreement here today.

Representives of the agitating NRSON agreed to end their 12-day protest following a two-hour talks with minister Manandhar. Later minister Manandhar and Shiva Subedi, NRSON general secretary signed the understanding paper. Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), who held two rounds of meeting before the meeting, was the mediator of the talks.

The understanding included the apology of NSC member secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha; implementing the seven-point agreement between NRSON and NSC; implementing the probe committee report regarding the staff promotion within seven days; and making permanent the players who won gold medals at the 10th South Asian Games and the bronze medallists at the 15th Asian Games.

The NRSON had locked out the NSC offices since February 13. But a group of NSC coaches on Monday padlocked all the remaining gates that affected all the sports activities including training and competitions. The coaches demanded the withdrawal of NRSON lock out.

Meanwhile, the NRSON opened the NSC gate today to allow the ANNFSU (Revolutionary) organise the Martyr Benoj Memorial Inter-college Basketball Tournament. Barkha Man Pun (Ananta), whom Nepal Communist Party (Maoists) has given the responsibility to look after sports, inaugurated the event.