Shyam Awale and evangelism through sports in Nepal
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When I went to Nepal for the first time four years ago, my friend and mate from the International Sports Coalition, Cassie Carstens advised me to meet Shyam Awale, one of the graduates of the International Sports Leadership School from the Republic of South Africa that he leads, and where I also taught a course of Discipleship through sports. When I arrived to Nepal, I met Shyam and we became friends forever. I am glad about his marriage with Amrita, that took place this year in March.
How did Shyam Awale become a Christian?
Being born in a Hindoo family, since he was a child, his grandfather took him to the worship services, because his grandfather was a zealous Hindoo and they woke up at three o’clock in the morning some times a week and went together to the worship service. I found out the passion of his grandfather for Hinduism when I saw a very beautiful temple built by him close to the market Patan Durbar from Kathmandu. When Shyam was 7 years old, one of his friends from school invited him to go to a Christian church to listen to the good music. That made Shyam curious, because there were a piano and a guitar in the church, instruments he had never seen before. So, he began to attend the church often and to think upon the teachings he heard during those worship services or at Sunday School. When he was 14 years old, he dedicated his life to the the Lord Jesus Christ and he refused to go to eat from the things dedicated to idols, that were always brought home by his grandfather and by all members of his family. Then a time of many persecution and pressures came, especially from his grandfather, but when they saw that Shyam was decided to follow Jesus Christ, they let him alone. After a while, Kedar, his younger brother came to Christ too, and then his sister and mother.
The beginning of the evangelism ministry through sports in Nepal
When he was baptized in 1989, Shyam Awale practised boxing at a national level and he continued this up to 1994. Then, he left that activity because he was involved in his family business and especially because he wanted to be involved more with the church activities. Then, he read that there were 3,000,000 young people in Nepal who practised sports, and Shyam thought that there was no one to go to them and tell them the Gospel, and that he, as a former sportsman, could be the best person to do that. He came to his pastor, told him his wish and being encouraged by the pastor, he began to participate in the national Box competitions, but that time he was a representative of his church “Koinonia Patan Church”. Then, he made efforts to organize a soccer team as part of the church and they began to participate in competitions and in 1989 he made possible for people to watch the Football World Championship from France from the church. People were coming to watch the football games, but they could also listen to the Word of God and about Jesus Christ. Later, Shyam met the leaders of the Christian sports ministry from India and they recommended him to study at the ISLS School from the Republic of South Africa, where he studied in 2000. Before that, Shyam founded the Sports Fellowship organization from Nepal in 1997, August 16th.
The results of the evangelism through sports in Nepal
As Shyam thinks, the greatest accomplishment is that sport was accepted as a tool of evangelism by the churches. When the ministry began in 1994, most pastors and members of the church considered that sport was a sinful and pagan practice. During all this time, thousand of young people were given Bibles and Christian brochures and 45 leaders were trained for the sports ministry, now they are part of the Sports Fellowship organization from Nepal and they organize competitions for kids - Kids Games. Evangelism through sports reached 4 more big cities from Nepal. Other 3 sportsmen were trained at the ISLS School from the Republic of South Africa, and 11 sportsmen were trained at the regional seminar ISLT. 6 other organizations that do sports ministry were born, and 15 sportsmen became members of the church “Koinonia”. According to Shyam, the number of those who have heard the Gospel through all sports activities is more than 10,000 people. Here is how wonderful the Gospel can be shared with young people through sports activities.
Because he knows and found out many things about the evangelism through sports from Moldova, Shyam tells me always that he wants to use our experience of making disciples and the inductive Bible studies that we study and that have always brought a great and beautiful result at making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Shyam’s wife, Amrita came to the session that I teach in Kathmandu to study the inductive method and to teach others through the ministry she and her husband are doing together. May God bless them and give much fruit in the ministry.
Translated by Felicia Djugostran
