South Asian Games 2019: Nepal declare their 11-member Kabaddi squad; Drop captain Sanjay Shrestha 

What's the story?

Nepal has announced its 11-man squad for the Kabaddi event at South Asian Games 2019. In a bizarre turn of events, the hosts of the tournament have axed their skipper Sanjay Shrestha from the squad. The administrators also declared their women's kabaddi team.

The background

Though the organizers had introduced Kabaddi in the 1985 South Asian Games, Nepal has only managed to win one bronze medal at the event. Kabaddi is the national spot of the nation hence, a lot of players emerge from Nepal every year. They had shared the bronze medal with Bangladesh in 2010 but this year, they will look to finish in the top 2.

The heart of the matter

The officials of Nepal's Kabaddi board announced their team today. Bengaluru Bulls player Lal Manohar Yadav will probably lead the side which is coached by Moti Raj Paneru and Lok Bahadur Bista. The men's squad goes as follows:

Nepal Men's Kabaddi Team for SAG 2019: Lal Manohar Yadav, Jay Bohara, Kumar Lama, Ranjit Gajmer, Parbin Khadka, Binod Tamang, Padam Bista, Ajay Manandhar, Kalyan Bhujel, Ram Prasad Mahato, Ramu Tamtat.

Along with the men's team, the Nepalese women's team was also announced on Sunday (1st December). The trio of Tara Singh Bhat, Bishnu Dev Bhat and Parbati Rai will coach the women's side.

Nepal Women's Kabaddi Team for SAG 2019: Manmahat Bist, Anuja Rai, Harina Thapa, Pustika Chaudhary, Jayanti Badu, Rabina Chaudhary, Ganga Dharni, Menuka Rajbanshi, Ishodha Giri, Kosh Maya Basnet, Kamala Thapa, Sarita Bhujel.

What's next?

The South Asian Games 2019 kabaddi tournament will kick off on 4th December 2019. It will be intriguing to see if the home team can secure a medal in their national sport, kabaddi.