Government should follow NSJF example

To   acknowledge    and   honor   athletes’ excellence   is indispensable. It is a respectful way to salute and thank them for their   achievement   and outstanding contribution to the society and country.

The recognition   is about their   relentless endeavor,   unending   commitment   and   selfless   sacrifice to glorify the nation through their sporting prowess. Also   it is an opportunity to amplify the importance of sports and   keep athletes’ morale high.  

Celebrated sporting figures are role models and national heroes who are looked upon for motivation and inspiration by the   community   .  The greatest   irony, however, is that not   always   accolades come their way   though they    fully deserve.

In a country like Nepal where sports is a non-priority for the government, athletes constantly find themselves in the face of uncertainty and   unpredictability. For the   most   part   they   are either ignored or shunned, and their accomplishments go by unnoticed.

Virtually nothing has been done   by the government, which includes Sports Ministry, National Sports council (NSC), Nepal   Olympic Committee (NOC) and National Associations to institutionalize the tradition of sport awards/rewards.  

The most we have seen   is   medal winners   of   regional and international events rewarded financially.   It is not a regular feature and requires   lobbying   to convince the   concerned   officials in charge   to   do so.

Other than that there is nothing athletes can look forward to the government.National recognition and award in any shape or form has immense   importance and means   a lot to athletes.It is an extraordinary   honor that   elevates   them  into  highly  revered and respected citizens of  the society, and  they can pride themselves  in  their past  accomplishments and live for the present.

The tradition of  conferring   worthy  sports figures  present and past ( athletes and officials) with  Gorkha  Dakshin  Bahu  is now a  thing of the past.

It   is   very   unfortunate   that the   government    does not give a damn about   national awards to recognize the nation’s top athletes. We have   witnessed dime-a-dozen   sports awards instituted   only to cease.

Most National Sports Associations have not displayed a   serious desire to honor   its   respective athletes.  A few have but there is no continuity. Rupak Memorial Best Footballer Award that   started under the aegis of   All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has not been a regular feature and was revived this year after a gap of four years.

The other    big   award   bestowed upon   the year’s   best   player   by ANFA is the “Best Footballer of the Year”.  Hopefully this is not a one time event. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of such awards given to athletes.

One award that   has held   ground  firmly  is   the “ Popular Player of the Year Award”  initiated by Nepal Sports Journalist Forum (NSJF ) sixteen years ago. The matter of fact is that this is the only excellence award   in the country   athletes   can   bank on.

An initiative launched by NSJF on a shoe string budget, especially with the sole purpose to promote sports and recognize   stellar athletes. Although the going   got   tough   for the   group in the initial stages   they   managed   to keep   the boat sailing.

Over the last few   years, the award has dramatically grown in status and popularity. From a modest two category   award event it has now expanded to eight. Even more importantly, it has been able to rope in   sponsors   substantially.

Credit  goes   to the   tireless  effort  on part of  NSJF members and  the  three term  president  Niranjan  Rajbhansi .  NSJF was established   in 1990 by Sitaram   Agrahari, a dedicated sports scribe.

The  government along  with ,NSC, NOC  and   Sports Associations have shamed    themselves    for not doing what   NSJF   has   done for a considerable period of time. It is time they    take their cue from NSJF and follow suit.

When all is said and done,  it  is extremely  important to preserve the integrity  and dignity   of  such  excellence awards ,and it has to be  free from   politics, favoritism,  partiality and  controversy.