TNCA Awards Ceremony & Annual General Meeting 2024/25 – A Celebration of Community, Cricket, and Commitment

The Tasmanian Nepalese Cricket Association (TNCA) hosted its much-anticipated Annual Awards Ceremony and Annual General Meeting on Sunday, 22 June 2025, at the Claremont War Memorial Hall, bringing together players, supporters, community leaders, and dignitaries for a memorable day of recognition, reflection, and renewed purpose.

The TNCA Awards Ceremony and Annual General Meeting was not just an internal celebration—it became a remarkable community gathering, filled with inspiring speeches, cultural connection, and proud recognition. The event was honoured by the presence of distinguished guests including Members of Parliament Josh Willie and Ella Haddad, Gene Phair (President of the University of Tasmania Cricket Club), and Syeda Aimen Jafri from the Australian Multicultural Council. Grace International Directors Bikendra Sapkota and Raj Kiran Adhikari, key community leaders like Rojina Tamrakar (Nepali Society of Tasmania), Bishnu Sapkota (Nepalese Tasmania Sports Association), and members of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania such as Sansar Raj Chimauriya were in attendance. TNCA Advisors Punam Panta, Prakash Upreti, Dev Poudel, and Dr. Mohammad Qureshi also graced the event. Representatives from various community organisations, affiliated clubs, and our beloved cricketing families gathered to make the event a heartfelt and proud celebration of how far the Tasmanian Nepalese Cricket Association has come.

The awards segment of the day celebrated standout contributions across our leagues and programs:

• Best Batter: Sandip Adhikari - 22 matches | 599 runs | Avg 34.67 | SR 143.84 | HS 76 | 6 fifties*

• Best Bowler: Suraj Thapa - 17 matches | 28 wickets | 2 five-wicket hauls | Best: 6/3 | Econ 4.84

• Hat-trick Recognition:

  • Laxman Panthi (2 hat-tricks)

  • Prajwal Dhakal (1 hat-trick)

• Emerging TNCA Female Cricketer: Sabita Giri

• Emerging TNCA Juniors: Ichhya Neupane & Aarush Poudel

• Passionate TNCA Juniors: Aaron Upreti & Rhythm Sedhai

• Volunteer Recognition:

  • Sujit Regmi

  • Rohit Basnet

  • Buddhi Tripathi

  • Niranjan Bhandari (Commentary)

    

    

    

    
    
    

TNCA Executive Leadership Awards

• TNCA President’s Award: Bikash Sedhai

• TNCA Emerging Leader Award: Poonam Bhattarai

• TNCA Star Award: Milan Paudel

These special awards were introduced to honour exceptional internal leadership, dedication, and impact within TNCA.

In addition,TNCA proudly honoured the gold medal-winning players from the 6th Oceania Nepali Sports Meet 2025 held in Perth, celebrating their hard work, dedication, and outstanding performance representing Tasmania on a national stage.

Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee 2025/26

The Annual General Meeting served as a platform to reflect on the achievements of the year, as the Presidential Report and Financial Report were presented to the members. Discussions revolved around TNCA’s continuing vision, challenges, and forward momentum.

Notably, Kamal Bhandari once again stood up to lead the Tasmanian Nepalese Cricket Association as the President, continuing his unwavering commitment and leadership. The new executive team for 2025/26 was elected unopposed, under the stewardship of Election Commissioner Gopal Neupane, with commission members Khagendra Satyal and Toya Raj Bhattarai overseeing the process.

The elected executive committee for the 2025/26 tenure is as follows:

President: Kamal Bhandari

Vice President: Prajwal Dhakal

Secretary: Poonam Bhattarai

Treasurer: Anjan Khadka

Public Officer: Milan Paudel

Executive Members: Sujan Dhungel, Anish Sagar Sah, Rohit Basnet, and Ujjwal Adhikari

As per the TNCA Constitution, two additional executive members will be appointed by the committee following their first official meeting, allowing for further community representation and operational support. This diverse and enthusiastic leadership team reflects TNCA’s continued commitment to inclusive growth and excellence in community cricket development across Tasmania.

One of the major announcements was the partnership agreement between TNCA and the University of Tasmania Cricket Club, paving the way for shared cricketing pathways, cultural exchange, and collaborative events. This marks a major milestone for TNCA’s integration into Tasmania’s broader cricket landscape.