Girls and sports don't go together,' -- I have been hearing this ever since I got interested in sports. These comments usually come from boys and I feel like tearing their heads apart for making such stupid comments. I was addicted to sports from my childhood. May be it was the environment where I was brought up. We had a large family and everyone loved to watch games. Most of the time, we watched football. I remember choosing footballs teams at random, chanting their name and urging the players to somehow get the ball to the goal post. 'Mine's the one in red', I would say. It was years later that I identified the players and the country they came from.

My sister, brother and I, the three of us would insist on staying up late to watch a particular game with dad. We never cared about being late to school the next morning. The next day, we would keep on analyzing the game, and at times to impress others, even say tidbits we'd overheard from seniors the other night.

There have been occasions when I have unknowingly entered the lion's den by making comments against the belief of senior sports-crazy girls. That was during my early teens. But, even now my sports comments are sometimes taken lightly and at times people (especially males) crosscheck me. Before, such comments hurt me but recently, I have managed to brush their comments aside, accusing them of being chauvinistic. Meanwhile, an incident the other day made me ponder if these guys were right all along. It was a reunion party and we were catching on all the gossip. One thing led to the other and soon we were talking about the upcoming world cup. We were talking about the world cup history, the probable winner, and the golden boot contender. Suddenly an old friend, who was completely indifferent to sports, commented that she was also waiting for the whistle to blow.

Stunned by the sudden change in her attitude towards sports, everyone insisted her to spill the beans. She gave a long explanation that took an entire evening; here's the gist of what she said. It was not football as a game that aroused her interest but the players. Opposites attract and when the opposition happened to be such good-looking athletes, the attraction grew ten folds. The player with their great physique, who on any day can give models a run for their money, got her hooked to sports. Initially, it was the footballers she watched but soon she became another football fan. Missed chances, opportunities created, penalties lost interested her more than suspense movie. The well-toned bodies clad in colorful jersey and the events unfolding in the ground developed in her an obsession for sports.

The ease with which she shared her obsession to sports changed my opinions as well. Now those typical male remarks from the boys don't bother me much. In fact, I can make light of the matter and say, "Yes, girls have more fun watching games than you boys do."

Ray of Hope – Pratichya Dulal
The u-15 team has come back home victorious. Along with the trophy they brought a ray of hope too. The team has had gone to the tournament with so little practice has won the competition between Non test playing Asian nations. Showing that cricket has already established its root in the nation where popularity of football exceeds it.
The most important aspect of the win is that it differs in its nature unlike our previous age group team which consisted of over aged players the players of this team were well and truly under 15 as told by the selectors. So in a sense this the first true age group victory for us. That too by the team, which at the most had been expected to, reaches the semifinals. Even the coach had not expected more than that. The young in experienced players handling the pressure of their first international match that too as title defenders and bouncing back winners proves that they are also mentally strong. Which in cricket is a positive aspect. They also bettered their performance with every game thus showing that they are quick learners since they have a long way to go this will certainly help them. But the victory has been significant for the age factor of this team. These youngsters have a long way to go in a few years time they will feature in the u-17 team and u-19 team and hence have ample time to groom their qualities and hence be able to perform at their best when they reach the national side. A new start has been attempted and been rewarded we need to continue the and make it a tradition now.

Same old problem – Pratichya Dulal
The much awaited National cricket tournament finally happened, organized after a year's break the tournament had been cut short in comparison to its older form. The long league was cut short instead, plate championship was introduced, but the idea was not right. With only six teams participating in the tournament a full-fledged league would have been the best format to run the tournament. Providing players ample chances to prove their worth and also adding the never easy job of selection. The prize money however must have boosted the players’ morale as a cash prize of Rs 50 thousand to the winners and 25 thousand to the runner up was given this year.
Region no. 2 Birgunj added freshness to the tournament taking home the trophy for the first time, thus ending region no. Biratnagar's monopoly. Otherwise there wasn't much to write home about. In one of the few 50 overs tournament batsmen failed to perform. Many a times they failed to make use of the solid start.
In the entire tournament 2 hundred plus was scored only once. Bhairawa scored 2 hundred 44 runs against Nepalgunj, nothing much to write about the game as Bhairawa went on to the final while Nepalgunj walked over the plate championship.
National team captain who also headed the Birjung team too acknowledged the fact that batsmen failed to perform in comparison to bowling and fielding.
According to him the wicket were also sub-standard for batting. 'The wicket too did not favor the batsmen, it was substandard for batsmen.' Das said ’but batsmen should also take the responsibility.' Only Paresh Lohani and Karikash Chaugain managed to score respectable runs. Paresh made 80 while batsmen of the series Kanishka Chaugain made 89.
Blaming the quality of the wicket is not the only solution to the problem as this is not the first time our batsmen have failed to perform. Not lasting the full 50 overs has been our ever bothering problem, when this is the case expecting the bowlers to win the game every time is a little too much. Batting problem needs to be addressed quickly before it hurts us in the three-day version the game irrecoverably.

Tidbits
- Mehabob Alam was in the lime light through out the tournament. What with CAN taking offence with the players true remark that players future and the impossibility of making a living simply by playing cricket. He was asked to explain himself and also banned from participating in the national game. Intense media pressure forced the two parties to come to an understanding and Mehaboob was allowed to participate in the last match of his region.
- This year's national cricket league proved all those who say cricket is a long time consuming game wrong. As Football's national league took all of three months while the cricket was over within a week.
- Tribhuvan University ground goes loktantrik. A pleasant surprise was awaiting everyone when they reached the TU. Cricket ground on the first day of the tournament. A white banner was tug with TU. loktantrik cricket ground written in green.
- The games were hosted in two Venus, TU. Cricket ground in Kirtipur and Army school in Bhaktapur. Going to Bhaktapur cricket ground was not easy, due to the tight security maintained by the army. All the matches played in Bhaktapur was audience partly due to this reason.
- Loktantrik slogans were heard in the Loktantrik cricket ground on the final day of the tournament. During the presentation ceremony cricket fans chanted slogan against the involvement of the mandales in sports, particular mandales in cricket were chastised. They protested against the actions taken against Mehaboob.

Comments on the winning team
This is my biggest achievement with Nepal Cricket so far," said coach Roy Dias for whom it was yet another feather in his cap. "It is a miracle because none of the boys had played a proper cricket match prior to representing the country at international level and they had the tag of defending champion to handle. It proves that Nepali players are naturally superior in the region because these boys were hand picked with three days remaining for the tournament."

Bijaya Sharma
Ours is a thankless job but this time it was even more difficult. Firstly due to the situation of the country the players had not had much practice. Secondly the players had not had much match practice. The 30 players called from the 6 regions were fresh. More over we sent some players back as they were over age. The over age players had been participating in the age group team we wanted to rectify the problem this time. So we had little to choose from in as little time. As for the team selection we divided the players into two groups and a two-day match was played between them. One ones with the best figures was picked. Semifinals was as far as we'd hoped the team would reach. Even the coach was not happy with the team. Then I'd sympathized with him. Such rookie players and the pressure of defending the title. The coach too deserves credit. He too had targeted the semifinals before he had the country. But the boys bettered their performance with every game and came home with the trophy.
This teams win will help a long way towards the development of cricket in Nepal. We' laid a good foundation and within four five years a good national team can be expected with them.

Beginners given a break - May 12th 2006
Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has selected a fresh squad for the ACC U-15 tournament to be held in Malaysia. Prithu Baskota leads the 14 – member squad. The other members are Sagar Pun, Surendra Chand, Santosh Bhatta, Akash Singh Pariyar, Bibek Dali, Pradeep Sigh Iyer, Krishna Karki, Ayush Sharma, Binod Lama, Subedu Pandey, Rochak Bhatta, Kabi Khagi and Prajesh Singh. Abishek Budhamagar, Nirajan Khadka, Ajar Satyal and Dipesh Budhathoki make up the four alternatives.

U-15 cricket updates - May 3rd 2006
Nepal will participate in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U-15 tournament, which consists of two day matches, to be held from May 26 to June 8, 2006.
Eight countries including the host Malaysia will be participating in the tournament, these very team reached the quarter final of the ACC U –15 tournament played in UAE last year. The countries have been divided into two groups. Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are in the Group A while group B consists of Afghanistan, UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Nepal’s Matches
26-27 May - vs Malaysia (at Club Aman)
29-30 May - vs Hong Kong (at RSC)
1-2 June - vs Singapore (at Club Aman)
4-5 June - Semifinals
7-8 June - Final  

Pradeep to try his luck in Bangladesh
National teams as well as the Three Star Club's midfielder Pradeep Maharjan will be playing in the CJSK Premier League, Bangladesh. Pradeep will be representing Kwality Sports Club in Chittagong from May 7th. ANFA spokesman Lalit Krishna Shreastha revealed that Pradeep will play a total of nine matches for a sum of one thousand dollars.
Pradeep's superb performance of five goals in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup enabled him the contract.

Junior football
U-14 football tournament will commence from May 5 at the ANFA complex. 12 "A" division team will be fighting for the top spot as well as well the prize money which Rs 100000. The runners up will receive 50,000 while the semifinalists will get 25,000 each. The tournament will be played in a league-cum-knock out format. Top teams like Manang Marsyangdi Club, Three Star Club, Jawalakhel Youth Club, Brigade Boys Club, Friends Club, Boys Union Club, New Road Team Mahendra Police Club and Armed Police Force, Sankata club, Ranipokhari Corner Team, Machiendra Team will be participating in the tournament.

MMC Head off for Malaysia
May 3rd-
National League Champions Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC) will be leaving Kathmadu today to Participate in the AFC President's Cup. ANFA president Ganesh Thapa bade farewell to the team yesterday. The team will practice for a week in Bangkok before reaching Malaysia. The tournament begins on May 10 till the 21st. National League champions of eight countries will be participating in the tournament. MMC is pitted in the Group B along with Dordoi-Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan, FC Vakhsh of Tajikistan and Ratnam Sports Club of Sri Lanka. MMC will play their opining match against Ratnam Sports Club on May 11.