From Cricket Fields to Classrooms: India Deepens Development and Diplomacy in Nepal
KATHMANDU — The Embassy of India in Nepal is making headlines this June with a dynamic blend of cricket diplomacy and high-impact infrastructure support aimed at fostering youth development and strengthening grassroots connectivity between the two neighbors.
From organizing a spirited international cricket tournament in Kathmandu to laying the foundation stone for school infrastructure in the remote Mustang region, New Delhi’s outreach showcases both symbolic and substantive commitment to Nepal’s development.
Cricket as a Tool of Diplomacy and Youth Engagement
The inaugural Indian Ambassador's Cricket Tournament 2025, hosted by the Indian Embassy from May 31 to June 8 at Tribhuvan University Ground, proved to be more than just a sporting event. With participation from six diverse teams—including the Indian and British Embassies, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Nepali corporates, and the Indian diaspora—the tournament cultivated goodwill, camaraderie, and people-to-people ties.
The tournament concluded with a competitive final between the Indian Embassy team and ICAN (Indian Community in Nepal), followed by a trophy distribution ceremony graced by Ambassador Naveen Srivastava, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand, and senior officials from Nepal’s Foreign Ministry.
In a powerful gesture to inspire future cricketing talent, Ambassador Srivastava handed over cricket kits to three promising under-19 Nepali cricketers. He also announced the “Ambassador’s Cricket Fellowship for Nepali Youth”, a new initiative offering short-term cricket coaching in India for two young athletes each year—further cementing India’s commitment to the growth of cricket in Nepal.
The closing reception, attended by Nepal’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Teju Lal Chaudhary, and members of Nepal’s Women’s National Cricket Team, echoed a shared vision of sports as a unifying force.
Infrastructure Aid Reaches Upper Mustang
In parallel to its sporting diplomacy, the Indian Embassy continues to demonstrate strategic development cooperation in Nepal’s rural heartlands. On June 8, Deputy Chief of Mission Prasanna Shrivastava laid the foundation stone for a new hostel and canteen block at Shree Dibya Deep Secondary School in Lomanthang Rural Municipality, Mustang—an initiative backed by a grant of NPR 37.6 million from the Government of India under the Nepal-India Development Cooperation framework.
Shree Dibya Deep is the only secondary school in Upper Mustang and serves students from Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodar Kunda Rural Municipalities. The project, implemented as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), will include dormitories, toilets, a dining hall, kitchen, and other essential facilities to support residential schooling in this remote Himalayan district.
Shrivastava also visited the Lowo Nyiphug Namdrol Norbuling Monastic School, where another dormitory is under construction with Indian assistance worth NPR 41.4 million.
India’s Expanding Development Footprint in Nepal
Since 2003, India has completed 573 HICDPs across all seven provinces of Nepal—spanning education, health, road building, irrigation, electrification, and cultural preservation. In Gandaki Province alone, 59 projects have been executed, including 17 in Mustang. Additionally, India has gifted over 1,009 ambulances and 300 school buses to hospitals and educational institutions nationwide—119 ambulances and 40 buses in Gandaki alone.
The Lomanthang school management, local officials, and stakeholders praised India’s role in uplifting education in Mustang, calling the infrastructure a “game-changer” for quality education in remote areas.
Beyond Symbolism: A Multi-Sectoral Partnership
India’s recent activities reflect more than just symbolic diplomacy. They represent a strategic, people-centered engagement built on shared geography, culture, and aspirations. While cricket enhances friendship and youth outreach in urban Nepal, infrastructural investments in districts like Mustang show India’s commitment to inclusive development.
These multifaceted efforts reaffirm India’s long-standing promise—to walk hand-in-hand with Nepal as a close neighbor and development partner in the truest sense.
