A mere 15 days before the start of the South Asian Games, Nepal was scrambling to finish construction of some of the major infrastructure, including the main venue for the opening and closing ceremonies. The sub-continental sports festival, which commenced on December 1, came to a close on Tuesday with Nepal setting new medals record. The host country so far has earned 206 medals, including 51 golds and 60 silvers—a remarkable feat given the state of physical infrastructure for the athletes and training regimes. The athletes have brought charm, glory, laurels and fame to the country out of their own passion and perseverance, they owe little to the state.

The lesson from the Nepali athletes’ heartwarming success is clear: Nepal’s players have the potential, but sports needs more funding. Only more money can help build the infrastructure and expertise that can recognise, nurture and maintain the excellence that is required to perform at the highest level. Needless to say, there is more to sports than national glory. It also has a high entertainment value. The 2016 Rio Olympics, for example, were the most consumed Olympic Games ever with over 7 billion video views of official content on social media platforms.

Dasarath Rangsala is Nepal’s only international-standard stadium. The arena was severely damaged by the Gorkha earthquake in 2015; but even four years later, it continued to fall apart as reconstruction efforts had been painstakingly slow. In fact, the 13th South Asian Games were initially slated to be held in Nepal in March 2018. But the government conveniently cited ‘lack of funds’ and bureaucratic disputes for the snail-like progress. The concerned authorities’ indulgence in pointing fingers instead of finding a solution resulted in the Games being postponed.

Nepal has been overlooking sports for years. In the last six fiscal years, the money allocated for sports development has accounted for less than 1 percent of the total budget. The industry has also been marred by corruption, mismanagement, and dismissal. And this has collectively manifested in several failed stadiums and sports grounds throughout the years. But sports build a national identity. It also strengthens social relationships by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of shared purpose and identity. In fact, for the longest time, sports has been seen as a reflection in which nations, their residents, and their social classes see themselves. It makes people feel pride, humiliation, association and dissociation. And it was this collective emotion most Nepalis went through during the entire regional sporting extravaganza.

Developing the potential of our athletes will only lead to more international recognition. This, in turn, will propel the growth of sports at home, creating a much-needed virtuous cycle.

All countries respect athletes, therefore, it's time the concerned authorities revisited their apathy towards the sports sector. One way of doing this is by creating incentives for the athletes so that they do not have to leave the country in search of better opportunities, like runner Tulsa KC, a gold medal hopeful, had to. 

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