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Showing posts from April, 2024

Batting nightmare continues for Team Nepal

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The ACC T20 Premier Cup challenge for the men’s national  cricket team of Nepal concluded on a disastrous note in Oman. They were left  empty-handed,following two successive defeats in make-or-break matches at the end of the day. The defeat to the  United Arab  Emirates and Honk Kong cost them dearly as they  squandered the opportunity to compete in both the  2025 Asia Cup and the second-tier Emerging Teams Asia Cup.    They made a total hash of things and piled misery on themselves.They have no one to blame but themselves for the outcome.I never  thought  they would end up like this. Once again the team’s batting  weaknesses came to the fore especially in the last two  crucial matches. Without a shred of doubt,the top-order batters failed miserably.Their contribution was negligible.They were  unable to hold  the innings together and post competitive totals. In other words,they  batted poorly and cheaply threw their wickets away. Clearly there was  a lack of application,c

Nepal must get off to winning start against Malaysia

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After more  than two months of non stop action, there is no respite in sight  for the  men's national cricket team of Nepal as they  gear up to participate in the 2024  ACC Premier Cup T20 starting  in Oman from April 12th. The ten teams in the fray are divided into two groups.Defending champions Nepal ,Qatar, Hong Kong,Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are in Group A. Likewise,Group B comprises Bahrain,Cambodia,Kuwait,Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The two finalists of the tournament will qualify for the  final round of the 2025 Asia Cup tournament. Given the magnitude of the competition, the stakes are high for teams,especially with two spots up for grabs.I expect it to be highly competitive and go down to the wire. Apparently there is absolutely no room for lackadaisical cricket,inconsistency and unforced errors for any team hoping to advance to the final round. Nepal,the United Arab Emirates,Oman, Malaysia and Hong Kong are leading contenders for the two spots  based on

Nepal football at a crossroads

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  The men’s national football team of Nepal has dropped three spots to 178 in the  latest FIFA rankings. It comes as no surprise to me based on the team’s recent losing streak in international tournaments,especially the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asia Cup qualifiers. Despite a drop in rankings,Nepal still ranks higher than Bangladesh, Pakistan,Sri Lanka and Bhutan.    Only India(the highest ranked country in South Asia)and Maldives are ranked higher than Nepal. If Nepal’s dull and drab performance in international competitions continues unabated, the rankings most likely will plummet further. It is no exaggeration to say that Nepal football is on the decline. It's high time to nip it in the bud before it gets any worse. In light of the team’s recent  listless performance in the World Cup and Asia Cup qualifiers  against Bahrain,all indications are that they have a Herculean task on hand to turn things around. Yes,they lost to a better prepared ,technically and  physical