Kathmandu, March 5

The National Sports Council today urged all the stakeholders to postpone tournaments and sporting activities in the wake of noble coronavirus outbreak.

In a release issued by Administration Department Chief Kul Bahadur Thapa, the NSC asked the national sports associations and other organisers to put all events on hold until further notice.

“As the government has put sporting events as one of the possible places of transformation of COV- ID-19, the NSC has decided to instruct all the stakeholders not to organise national and international events for now,” said Thapa.

“The NSC held a meeting on Thursday and made the decision to comply with the policy decision from Health and Population Ministry to refrain from mass gatherings including seminars, parties, shopping complex, cinema theatres, sports and entertainment programmes,” he added.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the TVS Everest Premier League on Thursday postponed the premier Twenty20 cricket tournament indefinitely. The tournament, which was scheduled for March 14-28 at the TU Stadium, became the first sporting event hit by the COVID-19 in Nepal.

“In respect and support for the government’s request to refrain from organising mass gatherings to avoid possible transmission of COVID-19, we have decided to postpone the event and we shall reschedule the tournament whenever the situation is favourable,” EPL Pvt Ltd.

“We reached the decision following detailed consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, franchisees, Cricket Association of Nepal, sponsors, players and other stakeholders,” the EPL added.

Also, Byas Municipality postponed the Women’s Half Marathon. “The emergency meeting of the municipality has decided to postpone the event, which was scheduled for this Saturday, in the wake of COV- ID-19 outbreak,” said Byas Municipality spokesperson Megh Nath Acharya. “We will announce the new dates of the event at favourable condition,” he added.