Pandey, Nepal win global award

KATHMANDU : President of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Binay Raj Pandey has been awarded with the Lifetime Service Award by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday.

Apart from Pandey, Nepal was also awarded the best Junior Cricket Initiative Award during the Pepsi ICC Development Programme Awards in Dubai today. Both Pandey and Nepal were nominated for the award after winning the same honour from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in January.

Pandey was recognised for his voluntary service to Nepali cricket for the last four decades. The ICC announced the winners of the Pepsi ICC Development Programme Awards in Dubai today. The ICC declared the global award among the winners of the five continents.

Pandey has been at the helm of CAN since 2006 and recently saw Nepal clinch the ICC Pepsi World Cricket League Division-V champion here. Pandey has also served the cricket governing body for 36 years as General Secretary. He was also one of the five CAN office bearers to be honoured with the ICC Centenary Award last year.

The Development Programme Awards, now in its ninth year, recognises and rewards the efforts of Associations and individuals who promote cricket in their countries. Previously Nepal was also honoured with two ACC awards in 2007 — Junior Cricket Initiative and Photo of the Year (Sudarshan Ranjit, Pokhara).

Region-V (Nepalgunj) also won the Best Women’s Cricket Initiative Award in 2006. Likewise, in 2003 the-then CAN President Jay Kumar Nath Shah was honoured with the Lifetime Service Award and the Nepali cricket with the Best Cricket Promotion and Marketing Programme Award.