The Tribhuvan Army Club of Nepal Army (NA) is all set to boycott the Sixth National Games to be held in Mahendranagar and Dhangadhi from February 26 to March 4.

Although the NA is saying that it is pulling out of the national games in order to prepare for the First South Asian Army Sports Meet also scheduled for March, but defense observers are saying that the main reason behind Army’s eagerness to withdraw from the games is the participation of the Maoist PLA Club in it.

The national army had also boycotted six of the 32 events in which the PLA were allowed to participate during the fifth National Games held three years ago at the direct intervention of the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

This time, the PLA club has been included as a departmental team in the sixth National Games by treating it at par with the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force.

Oberservers are saying that this could also be reason for NA’s pull out of the games.

Ramindra Chhetri, spokesperson of NA, said, “None of the Nepal Army players will participate in the Sixth National Games as we are hosting the Army Sports Meet soon and all our athletes are preparing for the event.”.

However, Nepal Sports Council (NSC), the main organiser of the event, said that it is yet to receive information about Army’s pull out. nepalnews.com