Nepal: Cricket tournament organised by Indian Embassy strengthens ties

Kathmandu: The Indian Embassy in Nepal organised the second edition of the Indian Ambassador's Cricket Tournament from June 26-28 in Kathmandu, bringing together diplomats, government officials, media professionals, former cricketers, corporate representatives, and members of the Indian diaspora in the country, the Embassy said on Tuesday.

The three-day tournament featured eight teams representing the Indian Embassy in Nepal, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic community in Kathmandu, Nepali media, former Nepali cricketers, Government of Nepal officials, corporate organisations, and the Indian community in Nepal (ICAN).

After a series of competitive matches, the tournament concluded on June 28 with the final held between the Indian Embassy and ICAN. Following the match, India's Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, and representatives of the organising partners presented trophies and awards to the winning team and the outstanding performers.

The opening ceremony was held on June 26 in the presence of Ambassador Srivastava, Joint Secretary of the South Asia Division at Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gahendra Rajbhandari and senior diplomatic representatives.

Following the tournament's conclusion, a reception was held on June 29 to celebrate its successful completion. On the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava also presented professional-grade cricket kits to three promising Nepali Under-19 women cricketers — Sana Praveen, Krishma Gurung, and Sabitri Dhami — and wished them success in the ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup scheduled for next year. The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Nepal and Bangladesh.

The first edition of the Indian Ambassador's Cricket Tournament was held in Kathmandu in June last year, involving six teams. The Embassy of India stated that the Indian Ambassador's Cricket Tournament reflects India's commitment to strengthening people-to-people ties with Nepal through sports diplomacy while also supporting the development of young sporting talent in the country.

"This annual tournament celebrates the spirit of cricket — a sport that continues to bring the people of India and Nepal closer and strengthen the people-to-people ties between the two countries," the Embassy said.

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The Hans India