THREE SHORT LISTED FOR NAC GM Kathmandu, 15 Oct. Three persons have been enlisted by public enterprises management board for appointment as general manager of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). Dev Chandra Lal Karna, Director of Civil Authority of Nepal, Madaaaaan Kharel, A NAC director and Tajev Thapa have been short listed. nnnn UML CODE TO DISCUSS DEMAND FOR ETHNICITY Kathmandu,15 Oct.: The CPN-UML has prepared a code of conduct to hold internal discussions over a nine-point demand brought forth by dissident Janajati and Madhesi leaders and the party establishment's response to it. UML Secretary Bishnu Poudel said party committees from the centre to the local level will be allowed to hold discussions over the demand. Leaders from both the Janajati and the party establishment have been asked to use decent language in the dissuasion and refrain from personal attacks, in the code of conduct . "The discussions will be effective after the party issues intra-party circulations to lower bodies," said UML Janajati leader Prithivi Subba Gurung. Around a dozen Janajati and Madhesi leaders of the party, including Vice-chairperson Ashok Rai had quit the party over a federalism and identity row. However, some key Janajati leaders including Gurung, Kiran Gurung, Ram Chandra Jha and Dal Bahadur Gurung, have stayed in the party opting to continue an intra-party struggle on debated issues of federalism and identity. The UML has officially decided to go for multiple identity-based federalism but the nine-point demand of the Janajatis has demanded single identity-based federalism in the new federal set up. Nnnn SPLIT IN MADESHBADI PARTIES ROUTITNE SAYS A LEADER Kathmandu, 15 Oct.: Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav today said the party need not worry over the split of Madhesi parties, The Himalayan Times reports.. “While unification of the Madhesi parties is the best way to safeguard the interests of the Madhes movement, there is no need to worry even if that was not the case,” he maintained. Addressing an interaction organised by the Joint Madhesi Lawyers’ Front on the eve of Dashain and Tihar, Yadav said communist parties of Nepal split 67 times in 67 years and the NC has split 27 times since 1950, therefore, there was no reason for Madhesis to worry over the splits of Madhesi parties. He went on to say, “Ramesh Mahato was killed by a Madhesi. It was a Madhesi who proposed Girija Prasad Koirala’s Cabinet to crackdown on Madhes movement. We cannot unite with those Madhesis that act against their own brothers and sisters.” On a different note, the Madhesi leader said a new federal constitution would have been delivered by the CA had the Unified CPN-Maoist been honest about it. He accused the UCPN-M, the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress of sabotaging the CA and derailing the process to frame a federal constitution. “Had the new federal and inclusive constitution been promulgated, it would have ended the hegemony of the ruling class, which have been monopolising the state power for 240 years. Seven leaders of the big three parties who feared the end of their hegemony failed the CA,” Yadav added. Federalism, he said, was never the agenda of the UCPN-M. The Madhesi leader urged all to fight for Madhesi cause building on the legacy of Madhes movement. Chairperson of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi), Badri Prasad Mandal said the sacrifices made by Madhesis during its 21-day long Madhes movement were unique in the whole world. He said Madhesis want federalism to ensure development of the region but the opponents were wrongly projecting it as a communal thing. “Maoists were never committed to federalism. When we had proposed federal constitution in 1947, Nirmal Lama, Guru of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, walked out of a meeting,” Mandal recalled. According to advocate Surendra Kumar Mahato, also the Vice-chair of the Nepal Bar Association, parties were unable to give an outlet to current political problems because they were only concerned about who should be the next prime minister. He warned the President not to overstep his ceremonial status or else republicanism might be in peril. “The President should stay away from power game,” he added. Advocate Binit Jha said Madhesi leaders and lawyers need to work for larger cause, without being concerned about their own welfare. Meanwhile, advocate Dipendra Jha advised Madhesi lawyers to contest the upcoming Nepal Bar Association election as a separate force without aligning with anybody else. Echoing Jha, advocate Ram Lal Sutihar also suggested Madhesi lawyers to contest the bar election as a separate force to register Madhesi as a new force in the legal fraternity. Nnnn TWO TITLES IN A MONTH, NEPALI CRICKET HAS COME OF AGE Kathmandu, 15 Oct. : Nepali cricket fans are on cloud nine as their national squad claimed two prestigious titles within a months time and that too away from home, Nabin Khatiwada writes in Republic.. Nepal had clinched only four titles in the last 16 years, after entering the international cricketing arena in 1996 through the ACC Trophy Elite. Contrary to the past, Nepal clinched ICC World Cricket League Division 4 and ACC Trophy Elite within a month. So what is the reason for such difference in the Nepal team which has suddenly begun to believe in themselves and increasingly played with more confidence? Captain Paras Khadka thinks his side has matured a lot in the recent times. "Every member in the team knows his responsibility and the role he has to play," said Khadka. Khadka´s claims seem to be absolutely right if we look back at the recent performances. Basant Regmi took 22 wickets in the Division 4 held in Malaysia and was adjudged man-of-the-series. Shakti Gauchan became the most successful bowler of the ACC Trophy Elite that concluded in the UAE on Friday as he claimed 15 wickets in six matches with 3.18 economy rate. Spinners have always been the strength of Nepali side in the past and they maintained the domination even in the last two tournaments. However, Nepali batsmen pleased Nepali fans more this time. "Chasing targets above 150-run used to be a tough task for our team in the past but we have seen huge progress in batting in recent days," said Santosh Mardan Thapa, former member of Cricket Association Nepal (CAN). Nepali batsmen had scored only three centuries in the last 16 years after the international debut but Nepali cricket fans witnessed three centuries in the last two tournaments. Opener Subash Khakurel scored 115 runs against the USA and his opening partner Anil Mandal struck 113 runs against Denmark in Division 4. Skipper Khadka scored unbeaten 106 runs against Kuwait in the ACC Trophy Elite. Khadka was adjudged man-of-the-series as he scored 291 runs and took nine wickets in the ACC Trophy. His batting average was 72.75 in the ACC Trophy. Likewise, Vice Captain Gyanendra Malla scored 212 runs while openers Mandal and Khakurel scored 200 and 139 runs respectively from the six matches of the ACC Trophy. Not only the top order, lower order batsmen like Sharad Vesawkar, Pradeep Airee, Prithu Banskota and Shakti Gauchan chipped in to rescue team in crucial moments. "Our batsmen showed their guts to chase any total and it is a huge improvement I have noticed in our team," said Uttam Karmacharya, who was the captain when Nepal participated in the ACC Trophy for the first time in 1996. Not only Nepali cricket fans but also the opponent coaches applauded Nepali players during the ACC Trophy. "They were one of the best team in the tournament. “I am surprised to see the guts shown by Nepal. They fought on to tie the match. They are much fitter team since they are professionals and full time cricketers,” UAE coach Aaqib Javed, former Pakistani cricketer, told a local UAE newspaper. Skipper Khadka credited extra labor of players and Coach Pubudu Dassanayake behind the success. "Nobody is taking his place in the national squad for granted and everybody is putting in extra effort to retain his place," said Khadka. "Meanwhile, the coach has brought in positive attitude in all players. We used to practice for some hours during the closed camp training but we are practicing for 4 to 5 hours daily and round the year," he added. To achieve the successes, Dassanayake kept national players busy in cricket calendar and played pivotal role to arrange exposures to some of the cricketers in the foreign tournaments. He arranged training session for Shakti Gauchan with Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, sent skipper Paras Khadka to Canada to play professional tournament and arranged places for fast bowler Chandra Saud and Amrit Bhattarai in U-23 tournament of Sri Lanka. He arranged special training for Anil Mandal, Sharad Vesawkar and Gyanendra Malla in India. On the other hand, he engaged national players in training sessions regularly. “I wanted to change the cricket culture of players on and off the field. Senior players must be role models for the upcoming players and for me, one can be a role model only with his hard work and proper training,” said Dassanayake. Skipper Khadka thinks that his boys were always full of skill but the busy schedule helped them convert the skill into performance. "We are able to adapt to whatever coach told us during the match these days," said Khadka. "Probably, coaching style of the new coach (Pubudu Dassanayake) suited Nepali national team as Roy sir´s (former coach Roy Luke Dias) style used to suit the age-group teams in the past," said former Captain Binod Das. "Probably, the growing age of players is also contributing to bring in maturity. We are more experienced now," added Sharad Vesawkar, the middle-order batsman. Das thinks that the current form of Nepali national squad is at a peak and the team should continue with it for a longer period. However, Khadka disagrees with Das. "I still don´t feel it´s our peak form yet. We have scope for improvement in many areas. I think we could be better," said Khadka. Then, is there nothing to worry in future? Skipper Khadka thinks smaller players´ pool could be Nepal´s headache in future. "We have very small players pool. We sometimes do not get proper replacement for injured players," said Khadka. "The CAN should think about developing players´ pool and also the ´A´ team," Khadka concluded. Nnnn PARAGLIDING ATRACTS TOURISTS Kathmandu, 15: Oct. With the start of main tourist season in the country, dozens of paragliders crowd Sarangkot gostling for space. According to paragliding flight providers, tourists even have to wait in the queue to experience the adventure sport after the numbers of aspirants increased substantively, Santosh Pokhrel writes in Republica from Pokhara. According service providers, over 4 hundred tourists experience the excitement of soaring in the sky daily. The 16 companies operating paragliding flights have been providing the service in 4-6 schedules. Nepal Airsport Association (NAA) General Secretary Sobit Baniya informed that tourists were forced to wait for their turn to fly due to the increase in the tourists wanting to paraglide. “It is too crowded now. Tourists are not finding their turn to glide in the sky at the time they want,” said Baniya. Baniya further informed that with the increase of Chinese tourists, who previously did not prefer adventure sports and trekking, the crowds of willing tourists for paragliding have gone up considerably. “We should really thank the Chinese tourists due to whom the paragliding business is doing good at the start of the season itself,” Baniya said. Basanta Dawadi, who has been in the paragliding business for long, said that the adventure sport of paragliding has drawn more crowds this year´s than previous years. he said such huge number of will paragliders was unexected and added 50 percent of them were Chinese. “50 percent of the paragliders are Chinese and rests are European and Indians,” he added. September to April is considered the best season for the paragliding in Pokhara. The charge of the half-hour flight costs domestic tourist is Rs 4,000 whereas it is 7,500 for foreigners. According to Prabin Gautam, the manager of paragliding provider Avia Club, the service providers have to increase the numbers of flights due to the increasing crowd. “We had conducted the flights in four schedules last year in this season. However, we are operating flights in six schedules already in this season,” said Gautam. “The beauty of Pokhara is further felt through the Paragliding. I am really attracted to the beauty this place,” Dominik Bartelheimer, a German tourist said after paragliding. He said that the Himalayan ranges and the lakes in Pokhara seen through the paragliding flights were alluring to him. Nnnn