A group of cricket supporters on Monday staged a peaceful protest against what has been claimed as ‘human trafficking’ in the pretext of a cricket tour in Japan. Former U-19 cricketers, representing West Kathmandu Football Cricket, had participated in Honda Cup in Japan but it has been blamed that nine non-cricketers were smuggled in the pretext of the tour. The supporters demanded the government to investigate on the issue and bring the guilty to the court. The nine individuals, who left for Japan as players, is said to have gone missing from the team during the tour. Siddhanta Lohani, who has already played for the national team, along with Saurav Khanal, Prem Tamang, Amit Shrestha, Faijlur Rehman Khan and Sonu Tamang had played the tournament. One of the players said they were not aware about the nine individuals but accompanied as the team members to Tokyo on July 15. “We didn’t even speak to any of them and it was only after reaching Tokyo that we came to know they were playing with us,” said one of the players. “But to our surprise none of them played from our team and we had to manage with other Nepali players who are currently residing in Japan,” the player said in condition of anonymity. The tour is said to have been managed by Sundar Thapa, a former Boys Union Club goalkeeper, and Kiran Rana, secretary in the elected Cricket Association of Nepal. Thapa and Rana both are accused of being involved in helping the nine individuals go missing in Japan. But both claimed their innocence. “I was approached by a Japanese to manage cricketers for the tournament. Since I have been more active in football, I coordinated with Rana who brought the seven cricketers. We were not aware about the nine individuals and don’t even know them. I don’t know how they applied for visa,” said Thapa. Rana, who is currently in the United States of America, told the Post that he has nothing to do with the case. “I am not aware about others because I had the responsibility of our players and they returned. We had tried to give our youngsters exposure but it was our bad luck to go for it. I am ready to cooperate in any sort of investigation because I have done nothing wrong,” said Rana. क्रिकेटको आवरणमा खेलाडी बनाएर विदेशमै लुकाएको भन्दै समर्थकले सोमबार शान्तिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन गरे । ‘नेपाली क्रिकेट राष्ट्रको सान, सहँदैनौं यस्तो अपमान,’ ‘क्रिकेट खेलाडीको तस्कर, हुँदैछ यहाँ लस्कर,’ ‘समर्थकको एउटै स्वर, तस्करीलाई हुनुपर्छ खोर,’ ‘क्रिकेटमा माफिया बन्द गर, दोषीलाई तुरुन्त कारबाही गर’ जस्ता प्लेकार्ड बोकेर समर्थक विरोधमा उत्रिएका थिए । अघिल्लो महिना जापानमा भएको एक प्रतियोगितामा नेपालको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै बेस्ट फुटबल क्रिकेटले होन्डा कपमा सहभागिता जनायो । त्यसमा राष्ट्रिय टिमका प्रतिनिधित्व गरिसकेका सिद्धान्त लोहनी, नेपाली यू–१९ का खेलाडीहरू सौरभ खनाल, प्रेम तामाङ, अमित श्रेष्ठ, फैजल खानलगायत खेलाडीले बेस्ट फुटबल क्लबबाट खेलेका थिए । तर जबरजस्ती खेलाडी बबनाएर लगिएकाहरूलाई त्यही लुकाएको भन्दै समर्थकले क्रिकेटमा मानव तस्करविरुद्धको अभियान चलाएका हुन् ।