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The Nepali women’s U-19 cricket team made a strong start in the ICC U-19 T20 World Cup Asian Qualifiers, defeating Thailand by 67 runs in Dubai on Wednesday. Defending a target of 103, Nepal bowled out Thailand for just 35 runs.

Rachana Kumari Chaudhary was the standout performer with the ball, taking four wickets for 10 runs, while Puja and Riya Sharma each took two wickets. Krishna Gurung and Manisha Kumari Upadhayay also contributed with one wicket each, keeping Thailand’s score low.

Thailand’s Aphisara Suwanchonrathi was the only player to reach double figures, scoring 13 runs off 23 balls, while the rest of the team struggled against Nepal’s bowling attack.

Nepal, batting first, scored 102 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs. Captain Puja Mahato led the way with 35 runs off 40 balls, supported by Seemana KC and Sonu Pakhrin, who each scored 19. Thailand’s Charukan Saema took two wickets, while Sunisa Bongkodphongampai claimed one.

Nepal is set to face Kuwait on Nov 7 and the UAE on Nov 9 in the double round-robin tournament. Finishing first in the points table would secure Nepal’s spot in the 2025 U-19 Women’s World Cup in Malaysia.

Paris: Nearly 20,000 people were forcibly displaced in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics from tent camps or shelters in the Paris region, a coalition of more than 100 community groups said Monday.

In its report, the group Le Revers de la Médaille, which translates as “the other side of the medal”, claimed that 19,526 people were displaced from informal housing between April 2023 and Sept 2024 as part of what it calls “social cleansing” by authorities. The report notes that some people were evicted multiple times and, as a result, may be counted more than once.

As the city prepared to host millions of spectators for the Games, facilities and infrastructure underwent significant renovation, which the report alleges included the eviction of migrants and squatters from visible locations near event venues.

Paul Alauzy, spokesperson for Le Revers de la Médaille, claimed that there is direct evidence linking these displacements to Olympic preparations.

“There are images, internal government documents, and eviction orders explicitly referencing the Olympics as justification,” Alauzy said on Monday.

The group’s data highlights a surge in eviction operations—260 between April 2023 and Sept 2024—up 41 percent from the same period in 2021-2022. The report also notes that over 4,500 minors were among those displaced.

French officials did not immediately respond to the group’s estimate. The city imposed exceptionally strict security measures for the Games and notably the unprecedented opening ceremony all along the Seine River, which required a double-checked process and a QR code to attend.

In August, Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Île-de-France region, which encompasses Paris, stated in a radio interview that eviction rates had not increased due to the Olympics and that every displaced individual was offered alternative housing.

French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the issue in August, claiming that France had successfully created a social legacy linked to the Olympics.

“I’m not forgetting that we have succeeded in creating a social legacy for the Olympic Games, with more than 200 marginalized people who used to live on the streets around the venues now having a permanent home,” Macron said at a conference on Aug 12, the day following the Olympics closing ceremony.

In its report, the coalition is now advocating for a reevaluation of the Olympic hosting model, proposing a permanent site for future editions and more sustainable practices to mitigate the risk of displacements.

AP

Bangladesh defeated host Nepal to retain the title of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Championship.

In the match played under lights at Dashrath Stadium in Tripureshwor, Bangladesh defeated Nepal by 2-1 goals. Two years ago, Bangladesh had defeated Nepal by 3-1 goals to win the championship for the first time.

All the three goals were scored in the second half, after the first half ended in a goalless draw. Bangladesh took the lead in the 52nd minute, with Monica Chakma opening the scoresheet. However, the lead did not last long, as Nepal's Amisha Karki made it 1-1 in the 56th minute.

Ritu Porna Chokma scored in the 81st minute, as her cross into the box from the left flank beat Nepali goalkeeper to make it 2-1 for the visitors. The scoreline did not change, as Nepal failed to exert any pressure in the remaining nine minutes and added five minutes.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who watched the final, also gave away the championship trophy and medals to the winners and runner-up.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakashman Singh, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Minister for Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary, ANFA President Pankaj Nembang, were among the dignitaries present at the full-house stadium to watch the final match.

Nepal lost in the final for the sixth time, four times to India and two times, including this one, to Bangladesh. India have won the championship five times while Bangladesh made it two in a row, after winning in 2022.

Host Nepal had made it to the final after defeating five-time champions India 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the semi-final. Bangladesh eased to the finals following a 7-1 win against Bhutan.

Nepal defeated Scotland by five wickets in the one day international under the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League-2 Series today.

After losing the toss and being put to bat first at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, US, Scotland were bowled out for just 154 runs in 41.4 overs at the loss of all wickets.

Spinner Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets to limit Scotland's innings. Karan KC, Sompal Kami and Gulshan Jha took two wickets each and Arif Sheikh dismissed one.

For Scotland, Mark Watt scored highest with 34 runs while other batsmen could not score significant runs.

Nepal chased down the victory target in 29.5 overs. Arif Sheikh contributed 51 runs to cruise Nepal to victory. Likewise, Kushal Bhurtel and Gulshan Jha hit 25 runs each while Asif Sheikh gathered 21 runs for Nepal.

Brandon McMullen took two wickets for Scotland. Bradley Currie, Mark Watt and Jack Jarvis took one wicket each.

Earlier, Nepal had lost to the US by three wickets in the first match of the tri-series under League-2. Scotland defeated the US by 10 wickets in their first match.