Nepal fans demand for insurance policies for players after Lalit Bhandari's bike accident

Nepal international Lalit Bhandari met a serious motorbike accident in Mahendranagar on September 19th, resulting in him suffering severe injuries. He was reportedly rushed to Nisarg Hospital in Dhangadi but due to the limitations at the facility, he was taken to Kohalpur Medical College in Banke District for further treatment.

The news stunned several Nepalese fans, especially after Bhandari’s picture started doing rounds on the internet. The news went viral by the night and thousands of fans wished him for a speedy recovery. After fans demanded authorities to shift the cricketer to Kathmandu for proper treatment, he was taken to the capital a chartered helicopter and was admitted to one of the finest hospitals.

After Bhandari’s admission to the hospital, former national skipper Paras Khadka, also the General Secretary of Cricket Players Association of Nepal, appealed donations from well-wishers on behalf on CPAN.

Income of players has also been hit due to coronavirus hiatus

Khadka’s tweet depicted the current state of Nepal Cricket. It is no surprise that players are not under insurance policies to cover such large medical bills. Moreover, the income of players has also been hit due to coronavirus outbreak. Players have been confined to their homes since the past six months, halting the primary source of their income.

The concept of crowdfunding is not new in Nepal cricket. Kundan Singh, an opening batsman of Province-2, has been under medical observance as both his kidneys have been damaged. Fans have stepped up to help Singh in such difficult times. Observing the cases of Bhandari and Singh shows the lack of health insurance benefits for players.

Although the Cricket Association of Nepal is ready to lend support in Bhandari’s case, fans have been asking the body to build a proper system in case of such unfortunate incidents. Nepali social media even saw #InsurePlayers trending in their location on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Besides crowdfunding, fans have also started to raise their voice against administrations for not having proper insurance policies. If a player has been insured, it will somehow help his family in adverse times. The Cricket Association of Nepal is preparing for their board meeting this week and the board is expected to come up with a beneficial decision for players.