Kathmandu, November 21
The Olympic Torch Relay of the 13th South Asian Games is beginning here from Swoyambhu on Friday.
Olympian and Nepal’s first international medal winning athlete Jit Bahadur KC will kick start the Relay from Swoyambhu, informed Deepak Shrestha, President of Nepal National and International Players Association. The National Sports Council has handed the responsibility of Torch Relay to the NNIPA.
“We will take the torch to all seven provinces of the country before returning to Kathmandu,” said two-time SA Games gold medal winning karateka Shrestha at a press meet today. “NSC Member Secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal will hand over the torch to Olympian KC on Friday morning to kick start the Relay,” he added.
Three-time SA Game gold medallist, marathon legend Baikuntha Manandhar believed the regional sporting extravaganza would be the best one organised by Nepal.
Olympians KC and Manandhar will be joined by South Asian record holder taekwondo ace Deepak Bista, athletes Rajendra Bhandari, Gyan Bahadur Bohara, Raj Kumari Pandey, Kanchhi Maya Koju and Mukunda Hari Shrestha, swimmer Nayana Shakya, boxer Umesh Maskey, judoka Debu Thapa and NNIPA President Deepak Shrestha to carry the torch to different parts of the country.
According to the NNIPA, the torch will reach Biratnagar (Province-1) on the first day and Janakpur, the host city of wrestling event in Province-2, on the second day. The Relay will then go to Hetauda and Chitwan (Province-3) on the third day before reaching to Lumbini and Butwal (Province-5) the following day. Surkhet (Karnali Province) and Nepalgunj (Province-5) will host the Relay on the fifth day, while it will reach Dhangadhi (Sudurpaschim Province) on the sixth day. The torch will reach Pokhara (Gandaki Province) — the venue for eight sports disciplines — on the seventh day and a rally will be held the following day.
The Olympians will take the torch to various parts of Kathmandu city on December 1 before entering the Dasharath Stadium to light the cauldron during the opening ceremony.
More than 5,000 delegates including 3,250 athletes will take part in the regional meet that features 26 sports disciplines.
Nepal is fielding the highest number of athletes — 597 — and is the only nation to participate in all 26 sports disciplines.
The SA Games offers 1135 medals — 324 gold, 324 silver and 487 bronze.
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Written by Nishant Pokhrel
This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/sa-games-torch-relay-set-to-begin-today/ under the title “SA Games Torch Relay set to begin today”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
