Mahendranagar cricket ground remains incomplete a decade after construction began

Mahendranagar: Construction of a cricket ground within the covered hall complex in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur, began in 2072 BS (approximately 2015 AD), but the project remains unfinished a decade later.

Birendra Bahadur Chand, president of the Kanchanpur District Cricket Association, said that although Mahendranagar has produced more than a dozen notable cricketers, including nationally renowned player Dipendra Singh Airee, local athletes still lack adequate sports infrastructure.

According to Chand, the ground was initially scheduled for completion within a year. However, construction has remained stalled due to a lack of funds. He said that a total of Rs 150,000 was provided in installments over the years, but the entire amount was spent on filling the ground with soil.

“This time, however, the National Sports Council has allocated a budget of Rs 30 million (3 crore), and the process of inviting tenders is currently underway,” Chand said.

Mahendranagar, the hometown of players such as Dipendra Singh Airee, Binod Bhandari, Bhim Sarki, and Sandeep Pajora, has been waiting for improved sports facilities. Chand said that once the contract for the Rs 30 million project is awarded and construction begins, local players will be able to use the ground and tournaments could be hosted as early as next year. He added that the project is being carried out in accordance with the master plan prepared by the District Sports Committee.

Chand reiterated that the funds received so far had been exhausted solely on filling the site with soil. “If the necessary budget had been available, the ground would have been completed long ago,” he said, adding that proper cricket infrastructure is lacking not only in Kanchanpur but across Sudurpaschim Province.

Gyanendra Bahadur Singh, chairperson of the District Sports Committee, said the federal and provincial governments should invest in cricket infrastructure given the sport’s growing popularity.

“In the ongoing NPL (Nepal Premier League), 13 players from Kanchanpur alone are playing for various teams,” Singh said. He added that the participation of local players in every national-level cricket tournament demonstrates Kanchanpur’s recognition as a district that produces talented cricketers.

Singh stressed that the government should prioritize sports infrastructure development in Kanchanpur, including facilities for cricket. He noted that a multi-purpose covered hall is currently being constructed with provincial government investment. However, during the 6th National Games, no cricket infrastructure other than the cricket pitch itself was established in the district.