Written by: Aarnov Adhikari - 23003, Grade XII
Posted on: 16 December, 2022
Professional athletes dedicate their entire lives to train themselves in order to excel. All day long, professional athletes put their respective sports into continual practices. They put in tremendous loads of work and attention on a professional level.
However, it is quite distressing to see how athletes are currently faring in Nepal. Their monthly income, which is likewise on a professional level, is only about rs 30000. First or second division athletes do not even come close to collecting that much money. Professional athletes must train, maintain their physical condition, be physically fit, and have quick reactions. Therefore, they must train themselves throughout the year to maintain their physical fitness. Additionally, their food is crucial for building their strength and physique. They don't even get enough to cover all of their fundamental demands amidst the contemporary society's ever-increasing energy crisis. Observing nations like the United States and Australia, who provide their professional athletes with a significant salary which could ultimately be seen as the reward for all of their effort and hard work. But, given the government's disregard for this sector, the likelihood of pursuing a career as a professional athlete in Nepal is so remote that many people have even quit their jobs and switched to other professions. Without a doubt, the payment they receive is insufficient to satisfy their drives for success and their devotions to uphold Nepal's national honour. The Nepalese women's team won the Saff U-19 Cup and was given a gift from the government worth 5 lakh as a result of recent occurrences. Can we honestly believe that the nation's young ladies, who gave it their all on the field and gave their lives to achieve this, should only be compensated with 5 lakh for such an amazing feat? Even the government-provided gear is not durable enough for the athletes. The majority of the equipment is outdated, worn out, or exhausted. The management needs to be among the most significant factors in the problematic state of sports in Nepal. The national sports council has been given a budget of NRS 2.9 billion by the Nepalese government, but each year this money is only used to fund the management's personal luxuries and way of life, which is one of the reasons thousands of athletes give up their careers in sports. Sandip Lamichhane, the captain of the Nepali cricket team and one of the country's most well-known athletes, trained and practiced in Australia. We can therefore draw the conclusion that Nepal's current sports and athlete growth situation is very poor and that it can only be improved through government-wide efforts and public pressure.
