Sports, passion, unity

A few thousand kilometers away, Manchester United played a match at Old Trafford against Bournemouth. They lost, and honestly, it stung. For those of us living here, whether they win or lose really shouldn’t affect us—but it does. Lately, it's mostly been disappointment. 

Funny thing is, I’ve never even been to England, nor watched them play live in any other location. But somehow, this team has a grip on my emotions. It’s not just the players—I even have a soft spot for their kit supplier and some brand partners. That’s the kind of connection sports can create.

I feel the same way when Nepal’s national football or cricket teams play, or when my hometown club, Three Star Club, takes the field. There’s just something magical that draws you toward the game, no matter where you are.

Recently, the Nepal Premier League (NPL), a franchise T20 cricket tournament, wrapped up with great success. Watching the matches made me realize something: if I’m not supporting a team, I can’t fully enjoy the game. There was a home city team called Kathmandu Gurkhas, but for some reason, the name didn’t resonate with me. Maybe it’s because I love football more than cricket, or maybe these franchise teams didn’t do enough in their first season to create a deeper connection. No cool merchandise, no real sense of belonging.

I’m not alone in this, though. Everywhere I went—offices, tea shops, gatherings—people were talking about the NPL. But most weren’t rooting for a specific team; they were just supporting Nepal cricket, which is fantastic in its own way. Nepal has some of the best sports crowds—something even full-member cricket nations might envy. While I couldn’t actively participate as a fan this time, I want to thank everyone who worked hard to make this event a success.

Although I couldn’t actively engage as a fan this time, I sincerely thank everyone who put in the effort to make this event a success.

That said, not everything about the tournament was rosy. Some ugly incidents cropped up, like supporters of Janakpur Bolts, the inaugural champions, being attacked and targeted with racial slurs. Politics also reared its head, with certain groups trying to frame the tournament as one state versus another. That’s not what sports should be about. The government needs to take strong action against those who tried to disturb the communal harmony we cherish in this country.

Let’s keep sports as they should be—a unifying force that brings joy and pride to everyone involved.