Political meddling has broken Nepali sports. Will ‘New Nepal’ fix it?

Insufficient investment, corruption and neglected infrastructure have forced athletes abroad and sidelined fans at home. Now, under the banner of reform, stakeholders demand that sports be part of the nation’s recovery.

Similar to other state institutions, sports ministries and councils at the central and provincial levels have long been abused as recruitment centres for political loyalists, often led by individuals with no sporting background and those who have never experienced athletes’ struggles firsthand.