Maoist leader Tanka Angbuhang is elected as the president of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) unopposed in the first ever election in CAN’s 64-year long history.
All other members of the 17-member committee were also elected unopposed in the first-ever election of CAN in its six-decade history.
Also elected are TB Shah (first vice-president), Sriniwas Rana and Chatur Bahadur Chand (vice-presidents) Ashok Nath Pyakurel (general secretary), Ratan Kathayat, Anup Thapa, Shailesh Chaudhary, Uttam Karmacharya, Dhirendra Saud, Kiran Rana, Binod Mainali, Raju Babu Shrestha, Basant Raj Satyal, Naresh Shrestha, Ameet Bir Pandey, and Sanjay Singh (members).
Angbuhang’s only opponent was former national captain Pawan Agrawal who withdrew.
“Election of the committee unopposed gives positive message and I thank all those candidates who withdrew,” Angbuhang said. “I shall go ahead taking suggestions from all of them.”
“I am speechless,” Agrawal said after withdrawing his candidacy who denied further comments.
Current vice-presidents Upendra Bhattarai and TB Shah were all set to vie for the post of first vice-president but Bhattarai pulled out of the contest.
Emotional Bhattarai remarked that he had no desire to get involved in dirty politics. “I have always respected three persons – Jay Kumar Nath Shah, Binay Raj Pandeny and TB Shah – in Nepali cricket and I don’t wish to edge the only remaining person (Shah) from cricket,” he said.
After his election, Angbuhang said that his immediate priorities would be to prepare for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers, convert monthly allowance of player as central contract from CAN and increase the fund of the Cricketers Welfare Fund.
Angbuhang said his long-term plans include infrastructural development, national cricket academy, making Mulpani ground of international standard and expansion of cricket across the country.
President hopeful barred from participation
Former general secretary Tanka Paneru warned of legal action after the ad-hoc committee of the CAN barred him from participating in the general assembly.
The last meeting of the ad-hoc committee held in Chitwan before the general assembly took the decision of not approving Paneru´s representation from Jhapa District Committee. Paneru was considering candidacy for presidency.
General secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel handed a letter to Paneru about rejection of his representation stating that his representation was against the CAN statute. Paneru could not represent Jhapa district as he is not a member of Jhapa District Committee.
Paneru said that it was the last step of current leadership to capture CAN. “One after another, they are performing irregularities and this is the last step,” said Paneru.
Paneru claimed that the CAN statute does not bar him from representing Jhapa. “The statute says representatives of district committee will be voters for the general assembly. It does not demand representative from within the committee itself,” said Paneru.
Jhapa District Committee had taken a decision to send Paneru in the general assembly on December 14.
Paneru said that he would soon take legal step and wait for favorable environment for taking political steps. “I´ve already informed ICC and ACC that the political move taken by the current leadership will further invite political interventions,” said Paneru, who is a cadre of CPN-UML.