An unnecessary interference by the state authorities in the operation of the Nepal Olympic Committee has put Nepal’s participation in the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture in Japan, at risk, the committee’s executive members say.

The 20th edition of the biggest sporting event of Asia is taking place from September 19 to October 4 next year.

Organising a press meet, the NOC on July 1 revealed that 30 sports associations’ names were sent to the OCA for participation. However, after a few hours of the NOC news conference, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a statement saying that they had sent a separate list of 31 sports and requested the Asian Games not to accept the one sent by the “illegal NOC”.

Nonetheless, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) rejected the ministry’s list with a suggestion that it was the NOC’s right to decide the participating disciplines.

The ministry has been denying the legitimacy of the newly elected Jeevan Ram Shrestha-led NOC, citing that they went against the court order to amend their constitution, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the OCA have accepted them as ‘authentic’.

Shrestha had amended the NOC’s constitution, allowing the president to run for the post for a third term. “However, it was not against the court’s order,” Shrestha told the Post.

“We started the extraordinary general assembly at 8:30am on December 3 last year, endorsed the amendments, and called for an election within an hour. We received the court’s order at 2:11pm. Thus, we did not go against the court’s order.”

According to Shrestha, his team has not gone against the law of the land and has adhered to the Olympic Charter. “The IOC and the OCA have accepted our amendments and the election as we have not gone against the prevailing laws,” Shrestha said, showing the emails sent by the OCA and the IOC.

According to the email copies received by the Post, the IOC accepted the NOC’s new leadership under Shrestha on April 17. It was signed by James Macleod, director of the NOC Relations, Olympic Solidarity, and Olympism365 at the IOC.

Macleod also sent an email to Minister for Youth and Sports Teju Lal Chaudhary on April 3. It stated: “We are sincerely counting on your collaboration to facilitate the ongoing work with the NOC and make sure that the NOC can continue to operate without any undue interference, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and in line with the fundamental principle of autonomy which governs the Olympic Movement, to avoid additional complications.”

And the NOC’s executive committee fears that the complications are evident that the state has not stopped its interference. The feud only deepened when a nine-member ad-hoc committee surfaced on Tuesday with former NOC president Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan as its chairman and Samim Miya Ansari as spokesperson.

As per the committee’s statement, they were formed through the support of 23 of the 31 sports associations registered with the NOC. This is a fact hard to accept as the majority of the associations’ internationally recognised officials are in support of the new executive committee.

Further, the ad-hoc committee has not revealed the members, and it has not been backed by the NSC, the body responsible for forming ad-hoc committees as per the National Sports Development Act, nor the ministry. Minister Chaudhary, on August 1, declared to form an ad-hoc committee, but the committee does not state which eligible authority had formed it.

“Either the NSC or the ministry has backed the ad-hoc committee formally because they know that they are unlawful. They do not have the required individuals,” Shrestha said. “The committee, for instance, is like a group of people at a tea shop forming a cabinet and declaring one as prime minister.”

Such steps have only tarnished the image of the state in the eyes of the international sporting community, said Rajiv Shrestha, general secretary at the NOC.

“The case is in the Patan High Court. Still, the minister is forming an ad-hoc committee, discussing the issue and influencing the case while it is still being heard. The step is against the law, and it is the ‘minister’ breaching the law.”

Asian Games participation at risk

“The 2026 Asian Games is only a year away now,” NOC president Shrestha said. “The deadline to send the number of athletes participating in the 30 sports is September 16. Then comes the deadline to submit the names of athletes.”

However, confirming the number of participants will not be easy for the NOC as they first need to be assured of sufficient budget for the athletes’ stay, transport and other expenses. “If the ministry continues interfering in our work,” Shrestha warned, “and the government does not ensure the budget, Nepali athletes might not be participating in the Asian tournament.”

As per the Master Plan of the 2026 Asian Games, the organisers will cooperate with the persons in charge of the respective NOC in the preparation phase to build networks, provide information, and support with any issues. And for the OCA, Jeevan Ram Shrestha and Rajiv Shrestha are the persons in charge of the Nepal Olympic Committee.

NSC had been training over 100 athletes of nine sports under Mission 2026 for over a year with the aim of winning medals in double digits, with at least a gold. “The preparation and investment alongside the hopes of the players will go in vain if the scenario persists,” Jeevan Ram Shrestha added.

NOC Vice-President Chaturananda Raj Vaidhya suggests that the only solution is for every authority to perform its duties without affecting the other. “We will follow the law of the land as well as that of the IOC and the OCA,” Vaidhya said. “We expect the ministry, the NSC and sports associations to do the same.”

“Right now, we cannot even go to Japan for prior preparation, as we have been barred from foreign visits by the Department of Immigration under a letter by the NSC, an unauthorised institution. Such restrictions can only be implemented following a court order.”