England cricketers’ Everest mission

England cricketers, who are making a bid to write history by playing cricket on the lap of Mt. Everest, reached Khumjung on Monday after they were reportedly denied entry to the Sagarmatha National Park. Park officials stopped them on Sunday, saying they lacked proper documents.

At stake is a mountainous project: To play cricket at the highest altitude ever — at 5,165 metres in Gorak Shep where the milky-white Khumbu Glacier placidly flows by.

Photo courtesy: Charlie

Nir Bahadur Limbu, tour guide of Peace Nepal Travels — accompanying the cricketers on their Everest voyage — said the England team had all the required documents.

He added: “We had written a letter to the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation a month ago, but the letter had not been forwarded to the National Park on time. But now it’s all sorted out.

“We will return to Kathmandu only after meeting our objective. They (the players) have travelled this far and we have worked hard to make this a success.”

In Khumjung, at nearly 3800 metres, the group is scheduled to conduct cricket classes for locals who will receive players’ kits once they complete their mission.

According to Limbu, the group is set to leave Khumjung for Tyangboche on Wednesday. They will reach Gorak Shep by Sunday and play a T-20 match two days later. “If all goes well, April 21 is the D-day,” said Limbu.

Thirty players and 20 support staff arrived in Kathmandu on April 9. The players are grouped into two team. Glean Lewis leads Team Tenzing and Hayden Maine Team Hillary, named after the first conquerors of Mt. Everest. All the members in the team are amateur cricketers aged between 22 and 36, working as bankers, lawyers, farmers, marketing executives and police in the United Kingdom.

Richard Kiretly, mastermind of the game, plans to collect about 250,000 sterling pounds from the whole tour. The proceeds will go for a noble cause: for building schools and hospitals in the Khumbu region and supporting young people, particularly those with disabilities, in sports.

Meanwhile, a member of the UK team had to stay behind at Namche Bazaar on Sunday after he showed some difficulty, said Limbu. “It’s a minor problem and he is in safe hands as a doctor is at hand. The rest are ok. He probably will join us in Khumjung tomorrow (Tuesday).”