Sports

Sudurpaschim’s oldest cricket ground turns into grazing field

Baitadi Dasharath Chand Municipality cricket ground once played a crucial role in producing many cricketers in the Sudurpaschim Province ever since it hosted the first Indo-Nepal cricket tournament in 1994. That tournament was pivotal in attracting numerous kids to what previously was an unknown game, ultimately contributing to Nepali cricket overall. Sudurpaschim’s oldest cricket ground turns into grazing field

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DR Panta

Published at : November 15, 2018

Updated at : November 15, 2018 10:09

Dadeldhura

Almost two and half decades on and the oldest cricket ground of Sudurpaschim has turned into a grazing field due to financial irregularities, compounded by the dispute between National Sports Council (NSC) and the construction company tasked to give a proper shape to the facility. Chandra & Basant Construction had signed agreement of Rs 10.4 million with the sports governing body of the country to construct the ground. But for the last four years, the ground has been laid bare thanks largely to the dispute between the two concerned authorities.

“The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had carried out a probe following reports of irregularities but the ground is now abandoned. This ground has been a stepping stone for numerous future stars of the country,” said local Dev Bahadur Thagunna claiming both concerned parties had their own version of stories.

“NSC has been claiming that the construction company didn’t work according to the approved design, estimates and investment. The construction company said the work was stalled because its due amount of Rs 5 million was not released,” added Thagunna fuming it was merely a case of ‘ unsettled commission’ between the two parties.

Manju Bokati, a women cricketer who represented Region No 6 Baitadi in the national tournaments, remembered how the ground was brought into playing condition. “We have seen the ball rolling down the slope while playing in the ground. We were only able to play tournaments there after the entire ground was covered by fences,” Bokati recalled. “There were talks of upgrading the facilities four years ago. Playing cricket now is a far cry, people cannot even walk here properly. This ground carries a huge history of Sudurpaschim but an utter negligence from the government has prevented playing opportunities of the budding cricketers,” Bokati added.

The CIAA was unable to book the guilty although a massive irregularity was reported during the construction. But Chatur Bahadur Chand, president to now-suspended Cricket Associa-tion of Nepal, claims the dispute was just a set up. “It’s a farce that dispute surfaced between the two parties during the construction of ground. It was nothing more than a set up. We even reported the issue to NSC,” said Chand.

After the provincial government was formed, Dasharath Chand Municipality has once again initiated the construction of the ground. Fed up by the dispute between NSC and the company, the municipality has started working on the ground on its own resources. Of late, number of aspiring cricketers from the district have left for neighbouring Kailali and capital Godavari to live their dream of becoming cricketers.

Mayor Narendra Thapa now looks pretty concerned. “We don’t want the cricketers from our area to drain out. We will construct the ground on our own and organise a tournament here by marking the Martyrs Day (on January 30) next year,” said Thapa.