Institutional failure ruins historic Asian Games ticket for Nepali esports
Summary
Despite Nepal's esports teams qualifying for the 20th Asian Games, internal disputes between rival esports bodies and administrative hurdles have led to Nepal not sending a team to compete in Japan.
Key Points
- Nepali esports teams qualified in PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang for the 20th Asian Games through regional qualifiers.
- Two rival esports associations, ESAN and NESA, each claim authority, causing administrative confusion and preventing official athlete registration.
- The National Sports Council (NSC) refused to forward esports players' names to the Nepal Olympic Committee due to legal and coordination issues between the two bodies.
- Players have petitioned and filed lawsuits seeking justice as the delay threatens to forfeit their participation, with a narrow window remaining open by the Olympic Council of Asia.
- NESA holds international recognition but was blocked by NSC-recognised ESAN from registering players, despite warnings from the OCA about the qualification process.
