BIRENDRANAGAR, Oct 6: The 10th National Games, scheduled to be held in Karnali Province, has received a new date for the fifth time, but athletes and sports officials remain uncertain whether the event will finally go ahead as planned.
After four postponements caused largely by inadequate preparations, organizers have now scheduled the Games for December 2 to 15, 2026 (Mangsir 16 to 29, 2083BS).
The recent devastating floods and landslides have added another concern. Organizers have yet to publish the detailed competition schedule, although the main organizing committee, which met in Birendranagar, Surkhet, on Sunday, assured athletes that the Games would take place on time.
Karnali also faces logistical and weather challenges. Hotel accommodation remains a concern, while further delays could expose events planned in mountain districts to snowfall.
The Games have remained uncertain for years because of weak preparations by the federal government, delays in implementing decisions and unfinished infrastructure. Although the new dates have revived hopes among athletes, infrastructure work in Karnali remains incomplete. Budgets have yet to reach some districts, slowing construction and other preparations. Dashain, Tihar and Chhath have also disrupted work, raising concerns about meeting the latest deadline.
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The National Sports Council board, chaired by then Youth and Sports Minister Bablu Gupta, had previously scheduled the Games for Falgun 1 to 7. However, legal, administrative and procurement procedures could not be completed in time. Conflicting statements from the minister and the council’s member secretary further deepened uncertainty.
The Finance Ministry had also failed to release a frozen budget. Public procurement rules required at least 35 days to complete tender procedures for necessary goods and services, making the deadline increasingly unrealistic. The election code of conduct and political transition added further complications.
Karnali Province, the co-organizer, has also struggled to fulfill its responsibilities. Construction of the Karnali Provincial Stadium, being built at a cost of Rs 1.59 billion, is nearing completion. However, work was affected after Karnali Province Sports Development Council member secretary Bishwamitra Sanjyal completed his term in December 2024, leaving the council without leadership for an extended period.
Karnali received the right to host the 10th National Games after the ninth edition concluded in Pokhara in October 2022. Since then, four separate dates have been announced: Mangsir 2 to 8, 2081; Chaitra 23 to 30, 2081; Jestha 3 to 10, 2082; and Falgun 1 to 7. Each was postponed because of incomplete infrastructure, unfavorable weather or inadequate preparations.
The repeated delays also triggered tensions between the federal and Karnali provincial governments. Then Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel criticized the federal government for repeatedly announcing dates without producing a clear action plan. He maintained that the stadium would not prevent the Games from taking place and repeatedly questioned why a detailed competition schedule had not been published.
Four postponements have exposed weaknesses in federal preparations, budget management, legal procedures and coordination with the province. Unless infrastructure, administrative decisions and procurement are completed on time, uncertainty will continue over Karnali’s first National Games.
Former council member secretary Sanjyal said infrastructure for 24 sports in nine Karnali districts, excluding Dolpa, was largely ready. He blamed previous postponements mainly on the federal government. Sanjyal said about 99 percent of the Karnali Provincial Stadium had been completed during his tenure and that only final procedures before its handover to the provincial government remained.
Karnali Social Development Ministry Secretary Roshani Shrestha said the province had been preparing for the Games for some time. Once a federal team conducts feasibility studies and decides which sports will be held at which venues, the province can allocate additional funds for infrastructure and complete preparations within the new deadline, she said.
Previous postponements resulted from a combination of unfinished infrastructure, adverse weather, administrative vacancies, delayed budgets and weak coordination among federal, provincial and local governments. The prolonged absence of leadership at the Karnali Province Sports Development Council also disrupted administrative and management work. The provincial government eventually appointed a new member secretary in the third week of Chaitra 2082.
For athletes who have repeatedly prepared for the Games only to see them postponed, the latest announcement offers another chance for hope.
Karnali Province Volleyball Association President Krishna Bahadur Shrestha said repeated delays had frustrated athletes, but the new dates had renewed expectations that the competition would finally take place.
Sports officials say meeting the fifth deadline will depend on whether all three levels of government can complete funding, infrastructure, procurement and logistical arrangements without another round of delays.
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