Nepal’s World Cup dream comes true
KATHMANDU, NOV 28 -
Beat Hong Kong by five wickets in thrilling match to qualify for 2014 ICC T20 World Cup
Nepal beat fellow Affiliate nation Hong Kong by five wickets in a thrilling ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Nepal were made to wait until the last ball of their innings to knock off a 144-run target set by Hong Kong.
None of the other Nepali sports discipline, especially team event, has ever achieved this level of success. Nepal has qualified for the Olympics twice, but only in individual event. Taekwondo star Sangina Baidya broke the tradition of wild card entries by securing a berth through qualifications at the 2004 Athens Olympics and fellow taekwondoka Deepak Bista repeated the feat in 2008 at the Beijing Games. Making the Nepali team’s feat sweeter is the fact that it has come on the back of the players’ hard work and their desire to scale the summit. Despite the fragile domestic structure, lack of infrastructure and insecure future, the players have finally realised their dream.
“I am so happy that I cannot even put it in words,” said Nepal skipper Paras Khadka after securing one of the six berths available for the World Cup . “We have been dreaming for this moment. We have all been working hard for the last 4-5 months,” he said, adding that his team need to make huge improvement now.
Ever since finishing seventh in the 2011 World Twenty20 Qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal have made a phenomenal rise.
Team Nepal won the ICC World Cricket League Division-IV in 2012 and followed it up with the Division-III title in 2013 and the ACC Trophy Elite, which they shared with the UAE. They also finished runners-up to Afghanistan in the ACC Twenty20 Cup early this year.
“This is why we are here,” said Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake.
“Our objective was to earn qualification and we have done it. Now we look forward to playing the qualifier final by defeating Afghanistan on Friday. I would like to thank all those, especially the Cricket Association of Nepal, for supporting us all along,” said Dassanayake, who is credited with bringing a
new lease of life to Nepali cricket since taking over from fellow Sri Lankan Roy Luke Dias in 2011.
This feat has come as a huge boost for the team’s preparations for the next big challenge: ICC 50-over World Cup Qualifier slated for January 13-February 1 in New Zealand.
Top two sides from the 10-team field will qualify for the 2015 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
Congratulations pour in
The whole of the nation has swung behind Team Nepal, with Chairman of Interim Election Government Khil Raj Regmi leading the way to offer his congratulations on the team’s qualification to the Twenty20 World Cup .
“I am extremely pleased with the historic success. It has not only brought about great enthusiasm among fans but also helped elevate the sporting pride around the globe,” said Regmi in a statement.
Meanwhile, a Nepali Congress central committee meeting chaired by its president Sushil Koirala also congratulated the team for the historic achievement. “This success will always motivate the Nepalis,” read the NC statement. Likewise, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said the achievement has made all Nepalis proud. The UCPN (Maoist), Member Secretary of National Sports Council Yubaraj Lama and Tanka Aanbuhang, the president of Cricket Association of Nepal also offered their congratulations. (PR)
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