The recent glory cornered by our young colts in the ACC U-19 women championship in Kuwait is a spectacular sporting achievement every sports buff in the country should take pride in and rejoice.
In the final they got the better of Thailand to clinch the trophy yet once again. Despite pressure to defend the title, our ladies played confidently and consistently throughout the competition to carve out a brilliant victory.
Although they were hard-pressed and given a run for their money by a pugnacious Bhutan in the semi-final, by and large, they played to their form. The triumph can be attributed to their collective effort, coupled with individual brilliance and fighting spirit.
What Is so special about this success is that the team completed a superb hat-trick. It may be recalled that they had won the championship in 2008 and 2010 as well. The accomplishment clearly underlines their potential and ability to deliver the goods.
Unquestionably, our women have taken a giant leap in the game and are mentally geared up for bigger challenges. Given the right and appropriate attention, training, facilities, and opportunities, they certainly can strike it rich in a very big way.
They fully deserve a pat on the back considering the fact that they have successfully navigated through difficult circumstances to prevail.
In the euphoria of the victory celebrations, we generally tend to overlook coaches’ contributions.
Not to forget that they play a crucial role in the successful performance of their team. For the most part, they are instantly remembered and held accountable whenever the team bites the dust.
In the context of Nepali women’s cricket, we know coaches face the stupendous task of training the team. I take my hats off to the coaching staff who did an outstanding job. Without their positive thinking and excellent coaching success would not have been possible.
Our cricketers have proven that anything is attainable through sheer hard work in a relatively short period of time. Incredible indeed! They have combined commitment, enthusiasm, energy, talent, and will – power to make things happen.
Compared to men, women’s cricket is nowhere close in terms of attention and development. It is still in its infancy and has a very long way to go. Whatever measures have been taken toward the development is inadequate and falls well short of expectations.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) should start paying serious heed to women’s cricket. We have to prepare and train them in the most professional manner for the long haul and guide them to the next level of the game, which in fact should be our next top priority.
That said, it is possible unless we develop the necessary infrastructure, set short and long-term goals that are clear and well defined.
CAN ought to think big and positively for women cricket. The government and the cricket body’s decision to reward cricketers cash for their accomplishment is laudable. I am pretty sure, more than the money what matters most to them is a secure and healthy playing environment in which they can thrive and succeed.
Otherwise, it would be very unfair to our ladies who have done so much for the country. It is time to get rid of the old practice of rounding up players for make-shift training camps one or two months prior to major tournaments.
We need a practical and effective system that helps grow the game and develop players to international standards. I just hope our talented, aspiring, and ambitious cricketers are not let down and ignored by the cricket body.
