Balbro, an Indian company manufacturing sports goods, has signed three Nepalese cricketers on a promotional contract for three years.
National vice-captain Binod Das, all-rounder Bardan Chalise and opener Paresh Lohani will receive crickets kit equivalent to Rs. 35,000 each year under the contract, according to Nirmal Kumar Rajbhandari, of New Sports Line, the authorized distributor of Balbro goods in Nepal. The players would have to use the clothing and kits provided by Balbro while playing.
Rajbhandari added that the company is also planning to provide the cricketers with some pocket money whenever they play international tournaments. He also said that Balbro is also looking for other good players to sign them the similar contract.
Paresh and Bardan have already signed the contract while Binod is yet to sign. Paresh and Bardan, both resident of Kathmandu, expressed their happiness and hoped that such contract would help cricket to take professional shape.
Middle order batsman Shakti Gauchan is the first cricketer to sign such contract. Shakti signed a similar contract with SS Company of India last year. He got the goods equivalent to Rs. 25,000 through the contract. SS is also trying to sign U-15 hero Sarad Veshwakar.
Binod, of Kalaiya Cricket Club, is the most experienced international cricketer of Nepal. He has already played 13 international, 13 U-19 and 4 U-17 matches for Nepal. He has captained Nepal U-19 that won the Youth Asia Cup and reached the plate final of Youth World Cup during 2001/02.
Bardan, who was deputy to Binod in the team, received man of the match award in Nepal’s famous win against Bangladesh and Pakistan in Youth World Cup in New Zealand. Paresh who scored a fifty against UAE in the final of Fourth ACC Trophy 2002 in Singapore is the only batsman to score head-to-head century in national championship.