Stakeholders stress on resuming sports activities

The sports stakeholders have expressed worry for no sign of resumption of sports activities even after the government-enforced lockdown against COVID-19 has prevailed for around three months.

At an interaction ‘Sports and journalism amidst COVID-19 impacts’ organized by Gandaki Sports Society in Pokhara on the occasion of the World Sports Journalist Day on Thursday, the participants stressed the need to resume sports training, practice, and activities in Nepal.

They stressed the need for revitalizing sports activities when the sports sector has returned normal in the COVID-19 most-affected countries.

The speakers also pointed out the need that the sports journalists should draw the attention to the federal, state, and local level governments for necessary policy reforms in the sports sector through the medium of news reporting.

Gandaki State Assembly legislation committee President Mohan Regmi informed that the Gandaki State government is introducing State Sports Act without any delay which he believed would develop the athletic capacity of sportspersons and rebound sports activities.

He also urged the sports journalists to encourage the people active in the sports sector and maintain good governance by continuously reporting against anomalies and aberrations.
Federation of Nepali Journalists central member Ram Krishna Gyawali said the media industry and journalists have also been hit hard as other sectors amidst COVID-19 and it was unfortunate to halt the sports activities for long in the pretext of the virus outbreak.

He also underscored the need for an enabling environment for the resumption of the sports sector and other businesses by ending the protracted deadlock in the country.

National Sports Council member Rajesh Kumar Gurung shared that an alternative football ground was developed in Pokhara amidst lockdown through sports competition and other infrastructure developments related to sports were halted.

Nepal Olympic Committee vice-chair Tej Bahadur Gurung appreciated journalists’ role in establishing Pokhara as the city of sports and informed that Olympians have started preparation after adopting necessary safety measures under the supervision of the Olympic Committee.

FNJ Gandaki State chair Tribhuvan Poudel said the profession of journalism has come across crisis as the print and electronic media have shut down their operation due to COVID-19 effects. He stressed the need to pay attention to policy reforms in the sports sector and also urged sports journalists to continue their reporting to that end.