Puspa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’
What a wonderful opportunity to speak to you all on this exciting and fascinating occasion.
Let me, first of all, extend my best wishes for the grand success of the Yonex Sunrise Nepal International Challenge 2024.
I wish to extend a very warm welcome to the distinguished technical officials from the World Badminton Federation and Badminton Asia Confederation, the participating players from various friendly countries, and all the guests present here at this Yonex Sunrise Nepal International Challenge (23-26 December 2024) and Yonex Sunrise Nepal Junior International Series (27-29 December 2024).
I thank the Nepal Badminton Association for organizing this great event. My appreciation also goes to Mr. Tanka Lal Ghising, Member Secretary of the National Sports Council-Nepal. His leadership and support has played an important role in promoting sports in Nepal. His efforts continue inspiring players and organizers to aim for greater achievements.
Badminton is a popular sport worldwide and played for generations. This is a game for people of all ages —young or old—and helps generate healthy and strong individuals. It teaches skills like patience, teamwork, and strategy, which are very helpful in life. This sport is also inclusive, as it gives space for people with disabilities as well. Inclusivity and diversity are important elements of this sport.
This sport brings together people from different regions, languages, and cultures, thereby giving a much deeper meaning that sports are not only for competition but also for goodwill, friendship and understanding among players from different countries. In essence, sports have become an important tool for global connectivity, beyond political borders.
Events like this also supports tourism and help our country grow. With growing polarity of Nepal as an attractive venue for various types of sports activities, Nepal has the great potential to become a hub and a preferred destination for sports tourism.
Sports should be regarded as an important foundation for enhancing the nation’s prestige and driving the economy forward. Today, I would like to remind you that during my tenure as Prime Minister, I initiated various efforts to develop sports infrastructure and encourage athletes for the advancement of Nepali sports. In the days ahead, I will remain dedicated to the development of the Nepali sports sector.
I hope the Government and other relevant authorities focus on building high-quality facilities for such events. Hosting international tournaments like this helps connect Nepal to the rest of the world and supports our development.
Notably, international organizations like the World Badminton Federation have furthered its reach by organizing events for all age groups, as well as for para-athletes and individuals with physical or intellectual challenges. This inclusiveness highlights the global importance and ever-growing popularity of the sport.
I remain fully committed to fostering and promoting such initiatives. Hosting international events of large scale has also an important bearing on development of our country. We must work collectively and wholeheartedly to ensure the continuity of such high-caliber tournaments and bring even larger events to Nepal in the future.
Dear Players,
As participants in this competitive yet friendly game, you embody the spirit of discipline, perseverance and excellence. Under the rules set forth by the World Badminton Federation, we are confident that this tournament will be conducted fairly and transparently, offering every competitor an equal opportunity to shine. I encourage you to view your fellow participants not just as competitors but as friends, fostering mutual respect and admiration, both on and off the court.
Before I conclude, I wish all the players, coaches, managers, technical officials, medical teams, and representatives from the World Badminton Federation and Badminton Asia Confederation have a pleasant stay in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.
I also wish great success to all players and express my deepest gratitude to the media personnel, sports enthusiasts, government and non-government organizations, and all individuals who have contributed, directly or indirectly, for making this event possible in our country.
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Prachanda was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Yonex Sunrise Nepal International Challenge (23-26 December 2024) and Yonex Sunrise Nepal Junior International Series (27-29 December 2024) in Kathmandu on December 23, 2024.
