KATHMANDU: The 13th edition of the South Asian Games (SAG) fever has gripped the Nepali sports spectrum.

The SAG is taking place starting December 1 until 10. The final selection of players for some of the games has been made while the rest is planned prior to the Dashain festival.

Being a host, the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Ministry of Youths and Sports are under pressure to achieve good results.

Nepal does not seem confident about winning gold medals in athletics that earned success in the past.

However, those who are undergoing closed-training sessions claim that they will clinch some gold medals.

Marathon record keeper Baikuntha Manandhar had won three gold medals in the first three editions under athletics. Tika Bogati had won a gold medal in the seventh SAG and Rajendra Bhandari won another gold medal in the 11th edition.

Hari Kumar Rimal was the only player to win a face-saving bronze medal in the athletics in the 12th SAG.

It calls for investigation of why the Nepali athletics is losing its luster day by day. Rajeev Bikram Shah is the incumbent president of the Nepal Athletics Association (NAA).

Chief Coach Chandra Gurung is not confident about winning gold medals in the upcoming SAG.

Rajeev was elected as the president of the NAA for the second term in the Nepali month Chaitra. But he has not given a full shape to the committee yet.

However, President Rajeev has not yet discussed even the role of athletics, let alone its objective, its participation process, said a source on the condition of anonymity.

“The players are still unaware of the items of games to be included in the SAG,” said the source, adding, “The host country has to hold meetings with the athletics associations of the participating countries but it has not done so far.

The NSC is not sure about the staffers required to hold the SAG, neither has it sufficient manpower. Some qualified staffers need to be roped in from foreign countries.

The NAA President Shah currently is in Thailand to take part in the ‘World Athletics Championship.

Chief Coach Chandra Gurung is not confident about winning gold medals in the upcoming SAG.

“We will, of course, win medals but unlikely to win gold medals in the upcoming SAG,” said Gurung, adding,” Nepal can win medals in the marathon, 5,000-meter race, and 10,000-meter race but as for winning gold medals its requires a long-term and systematic training and sufficient investment.

Currently, a total of 47 players including males and female are undergoing training in the closed-training session. A total of 36 players – 18 males and 18 females – will get short-listed out of 47 players.

“Our level of athletics has gone down since the last few years. On the other hand, India, Sri Lanka have improved skills in athletics. I cannot guarantee that Nepal will win gold medals,” said Gurung.

Challenges to winning gold medals

Nepal had won five gold medals until the 12 edition in the SAG games. Experts say that in the upcoming SAG, Nepal is unlikely to win gold medals.

Nepal’s level of skills in athletic is degrading while Sri Lanka and India have upgraded the level of athletics through sufficient investment, said Gurung.

The NAA is also not taken the initiative in enhancing the quality of Nepal’s athletics, said athletics expert Raghu Onta

“The NAA is itself in a dilemma. The current leadership is weak and has no vision. That is why Nepal’s current level of athletics has gone down,” said Gurung.

The NAA has not got a full shape even six months after Shah took the helm of the athletics body. At least one year is necessary for preparations for winning gold medals. The closed-training session for the upcoming SAG had started only from June 11, of which one and a half months passed by in confusion. The ground for practice was also not well-equipped.

To win gold medals, we have to set long-term planning and move ahead accordingly, said Gurung.

Prospective players to win gold medals for Nepal in the upcoming SAG under athletics include Krishna Basnet, Som Kumal, Dipak Adhikari, Gopi Chand, and Hari Kumar Rimal.