Nepal’s PUBG team qualified for the Asian Games. A dispute took them out.

Nepal's PUBG team earned a spot at the 20th Asian Games following a strong performance in the qualification tournament held in Vietnam. However, the team is now set to miss the Games due to an unresolved dispute between the country's esports bodies and the government regarding official representation.

The Nepali PUBG team secured their qualification on June 21, finishing seventh in the qualifiers held from June 13 to 21. The team comprised Samir Costello (Zyo), Rohit Tamang (Zordy), Deepesh Gurung (Delta X), Saurav Tamang (TMG-8), and Sonu Karki (Biabia). Their qualification had sparked hopes for a medal in Japan, especially since the team had narrowly missed a medal by finishing fifth at the 19th Asian Games in China.

Despite the team's success, the National Sports Council (NSC) announced on August 11 that Nepal would participate in 22 sports, with esports, including PUBG, removed from the final roster. This decision has left the qualified players unable to compete, even though they secured their place through the official qualification process. The players recently held a press conference to question this exclusion and are now seeking legal intervention.

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We submitted the names of the teams that had won the previous competition as the long list to the Ministry of Sports. NESA did not inform the government that the team had qualified.

The core of the dispute lies in the existence of two esports associations in Nepal: the Nepal Esports Association (NESA), recognized by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, and the Esports Association of Nepal (ESAN), registered with the NSC. The National Sports Development Act of 2020 stipulates that only one association should exist per sport. Both NESA and ESAN claim authority over esports in Nepal.

According to ESAN president Anjan Dhamala, the NSC initially received a list of players recommended by ESAN, but this list did not include the Vietnam qualifiers. Dhamala stated that ESAN had submitted the names of teams from a previous competition, and NESA had not informed the government of the team's qualification. ESAN subsequently informed the NSC of its non-participation after its recommended players were not selected. The NSC claims the decision to exclude esports was based on ESAN's letter and that attempts to coordinate with NESA were unsuccessful. NESA, however, denies these claims, accusing the government of preventing qualified players from representing Nepal and asserting that team selection followed international protocols.

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The team selection and subsequent procedures had been completed according to international requirements and protocols.