The 10th edition of the National Games got a new date during the 123rd board meeting of the National Sports Council on Wednesday.

In the board meeting chaired by Minister for Youth and Sports Bablu Gupta, the National Sports Council (NSC), seven provinces and three departmental clubs agreed on organising the country’s biggest multi-sport event in Karnali Province from February 13 to 19. The meeting was broadcast live according to the minister’s pledge.

The three-hour-long meeting also decided to recommend the Cabinet to honour Jit Bahadur KC, the marathon runner who won Nepal’s first-ever international medal in sports, with a cash prize of Rs2.5 million.

Similarly, the meeting directed all sports associations to reimburse the announced crash prizes and services to the athletes within 15 days. The sports associations that have not organised their annual national tournament have also been warned of strict action; they have been given a three-month time frame to organise them.

But despite the date fixed for the 10th National Games, the tournament, which allows over three dozen sports to find the best athletes to represent the country in international tournaments, is still not certain. That unnecessary delays and problems have led to its postponement multiple times already do not inspire confidence that the tournament would be held on the newly announced date.

First fixed for November 2024

Two days after the conclusion of the 9th National Games in Pokhara (October 14 to 20, 2022), the Ministry of Youth and Sports fixed the 10th National Games in Karnali for November 17-24, 2024.

However, as the process did not begin on time, the scheduled time frame was missed. It was during the 118th board meeting of the NSC on December 6 last year that a new date was announced—April 5 to 12, 2025—for the event.

Meanwhile, making the mascot and logo of the 10th National Games public in March this year, the tournament was again rescheduled for May 17 to 24.

“If anyone on the board believes they cannot help in organising the 10th National Games in February 2026, you can resign from the post,” Minister Gupta said in the meeting on Wednesday. “The board members should not raise concerns; they should solve it. I will stand with you all in solving the problems and making the tournament a success.”

As the meeting drew to a close, participants applauded the announcement of the new date for the country’s biggest multi-sport event.