Nepal–UAE T20I: Wrong UAE anthem played twice
Nepal’s national anthem was played without issue.
KATHMANDU: A technical failure disrupted the opening ceremony of the Nepal vs UAE T20I series after the United Arab Emirates’ national anthem was played incorrectly—twice.
During the ceremony, officials including National Sports Council Member Secretary Ram Charitra Mehta, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand, and Secretary Paras Khadka greeted players from both teams.
Mehta then handed the ball to the umpires, marking the formal start.
Nepal’s national anthem was played without issue.
However, problems arose when it was UAE’s turn.
After a brief delay, a song was played, but UAE captain Mohammad Waseem immediately signaled that it was not their national anthem.
The music was stopped, and after another short wait, a second track was played—again incorrect.
Following the repeated errors, UAE players chose not to wait any longer, and their national anthem was ultimately not played.
The incident led to an awkward start to the match, highlighting lapses in event coordination during an international fixture.
