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The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has called up 32 players for a closed training camp.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the CAN said that it has called up 32 players for a closed training camp for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

The CAN has also called Mohammad Adil Alam (Adil Ansari) for the closed training.

Along with Captain Rohit Paudel, Kushal Bhurtel, Anil Sah, Asif Sheikh, Bhim Sarki, Gulshan Jha, Rupesh Singh, Basir Ahmed, Shahab Alam, Yuvraj Khatri, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Arif Sheikh, Nandan Yadav, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Rijan Dhakal, Pratish JC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kamal Singh Airee will be in the  closed training.

Sagar Dhakal, Kiran Thagunna, Sandeep Lamichhane, Akash Chand, Vivek Yadav, Mohammad Adil Alam, Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Zora, Sher Malla, Subha Kansakar, Arjun Gharti and Lokesh Bam will also be in the camp.

Lionel Messi's historic MLS continued on Saturday, as he scored twice in Inter Miami's 2-1 win over Nashville SC, The Hindustan Times reported.

The feat saw him extend his MLS record streak of multigoal games, which he claimed last week, when he became the first player in the league's history to score multiple goals in four straight games.

On Saturday, he took the tally to five, with a goal in each half. The result saw Miami move to fifth position in the Supporters’ Shield leaderboard.

The 2022 World Cup winner opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick, beating the Nashville wall and goalkeeper Joe Willis, with a low left-footed shot, which went into the bottom corner, according to The Hindustan Times.

Bablu Shiwakoti has been active in the Taekwondo sector in various capacities, including as an athlete, coach, referee, and sports official. His contributions span administrative roles, technical training, international representation, and athlete development. He holds several positions within the Nepal Taekwondo Association, including Central Committee Member, Technical Delegate (TD), and Chairperson of the National Poomsae Referee Subcommittee. In these roles, he has overseen national competitions and contributed to the introduction of formats such as Free Style Poomsae and Team Kyorugi in domestic championships. These formats were featured in events like the 2nd School Level National Championship and the Kukkiwon Cup in 2025.

Shiwakoti participated in the 2024 World Taekwondo Championships in Hong Kong, where he reached the quarterfinals. He also completed the International Taekwondo Instructor Course recognized by Kukkiwon in 2015. In terms of officiating, he is certified as an international referee in both Kyorugi (sparring) and Poomsae (forms). He completed referee training programs in Dubai (2023) and another in 2024. Shiwakoti has officiated in international events in countries such as Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and China, and has attended rule-updating sessions in India and Kazakhstan. He has also facilitated referee training within Nepal’s provinces under the Nepal Taekwondo Association.

As a coach, Shiwakoti has worked with athletes at Sitapaila Taekwondo Dojang and led the Nepali team at the 2023 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Athletes he has trained have participated in various international tournaments, including the Asian Games and Youth Asian Games selections. He has also served as a coach at events like the 10th Fujairah Open in the UAE (2023) and the Asian Cadet and Junior Championships in Vietnam (2022).

Shiwakoti has expressed an interest in supporting the professionalization of Taekwondo in Nepal. He highlights the importance of long-term planning for athletes’ careers and the need to strengthen domestic opportunities to reduce early migration of players abroad. Originally from Rautahat, Shiwakoti began practicing Taekwondo during his school years. He later moved to Kathmandu, where he continued his training and competed in local and national-level tournaments.

Three promising Under-19 cricketers from Nepal Naren Bhatta, Sahil Patel, and Puja Mahato are to undergo a month-long professional training program at the LB Shastri Cricket Shaala in Bhopal, India from July 15 to August 14 as part of the Ambassador’s Cricket Fellowship for Nepali Youth announced by the Indian Embassy, Kathmandu.

The initiative aims to support the development of young Nepali cricket talent while strengthening people-to-people ties between India and Nepal through a shared passion for cricket. 

This professional exposure is expected to significantly enhance the players’ skills and contribute to Nepal's cricketing aspirations, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy, Kathmandu.

Indian Ambassador to  Nepal Naveen Srivastava met and interacted with the players in the presence of President of the Cricket Association of Nepal Chatur Bahadur Chand, today and conveyed best wishes for their training programme, according to the statement.

The interaction underscored the importance of sports cooperation in fostering deeper people to people ties between India and Nepal.