NSC decision upheld

LALITPUR: The Patan Appellate Court of Friday upheld the National Sports Council’s (NSC) decision to quash sports associations’ elections held after the Royal takeover on February 1, 2005.The division bench of Judges Ali Akabar Mikarani and Jagadish Sharma Paudel rejected to issue the stay order as demanded by three Nepal Basketball Association members Krishna Maharjan, Arjun Lal Pradhan and Durlav Thapa. The three members had sought stay order to stop the NeBA elections scheduled for Saturday. — HNS

Teachers’ Volleyball

KATHMANDU: Kantipur English Academy (KEA) is organising the first Kantipur Teacher’s Volleyball Competition from Saturday. In all, 24 school teams are taking part in the league-cum-knock out tournament, said KEA principal and chairman Madhav Prasad Adhikari at a press meet on Friday. The top each teams from the eight pools will advance to the quarter-finals. The participating schools in the nine-day tournament are LRI, Mt Glory, Green Field, Venus, Asian Public, Greenland, Bishnumati, KEA, Sapta Gandaki, Universal, Children Eternal. Gillette, Good Start, New Diamond, Ever Young, Sweta Sadan, Lalitpur Academy, Paropakar, KEBS, Fluorescent, Gyan Niketan, New Arunodaya, Cyprus and AIMS. — HNS

International karate

KATHMANDU: A total of 500 players from 20 countries are confirmed in the first JSKA Karate Open International Championship, organisers Nepal Shotokan Karate Association (JSKA) informed at a press meet on Friday. In all, 260 Nepali players from four disciplines — Shotokan, Shitoryu, Badoryu and Gojuryu — will be selected for the championship, the organisers said. “Japan, US, Germany, South Africa, Spain, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Jordon, Hong Kong, Iran, Afghanistan, Thailand and Macau have already entered in the championshiop,” said Vishnu Bahadur Karkee, member secretary of the organising committee. He also informed that Life Vision International Pvt Ltd had agreed to sponsor the event, supported by Nepal Tourism Board. — HNS

Thorpe to coach NSW

SYDNEY: Former England batsman Graham Thorpe has been named assistant coach for the New South Wales cricket team next season. Thorpe, who averaged 44.66 in 100 Tests, will also coach the New South Wales second XI. Thorpe, 37, said the appointment represented the “next chapter in my career.” — AP