SA Games medallists dominate nominations

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 5

The 13th South Asian Games gold medal winning athletes dominated the Pulsar Sports Award nominations.

Double gold medallists, karateka Manday Kaji Shrestha and golfer Subash Tamang, were named as nominees in the men’s section along with athlete Gopi Chandra Parki, taekwondo player Kamal Shrestha and footballer Bikesh Kuthu.

Shrestha and Tamang had bagged two gold medals each — individual and team events — in the regional sporting extravaganza held in December 2019 on home soil, while Parki won gold in 5,000m race.

Goalkeeper Kuthu was the member of the football team that defended the gold medal, while Shrestha bagged gold medal in men’s 24-29yrs individual poomsae event.

Swimmer Gaurika Singh, who created history by winning four golds, two silvers and three bronze medals in the SA Games and double gold medal winner taekwondo player Ayasha Shakya have been nominated in the women’s category along with regional meet gold medallists karateka Anu Adhikari, athlete Santoshi Shrestha and triathlon athlete Soni Gurung.

Golfer Subash Tamang was also nominated in the youth category. The top amateur golf player will fight for the award with South Asian Games gold medallists Bhupen Shrestha

and Sina Limbu Maden (taekwondo), Poonam Shrestha (judo) and Sanju Chaudhary (weightlifting).

Nepal finished second behind India in the SA Games with a total of 207 medals — record 51 golds, 60 silvers and 91 bronzes — and five coaches who won combined 34 golds made to the nominations in the coach of the year category.

Amar Kumar Thing (wushu), Madan Upreti (karate), Nabin Shrestha (taekwondo), Prakash Thapa Magar (boxing) and Shankar Karki (swimming) are in the race for the award. Taekwondo bagged maximum 12 gold medals, while karate produced 10 and wushu won five in the regional meet. Likewise, swimming brought in four — all won by Gaurika Singh — and boxing won three gold medals.

The nominees were picked up by the 11-member selection committee headed by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum Secretary Gobinda Regmi.

Swimmer Singh and karateka Shrestha are also nominated in people’s choice category along with Sabitra Bhandari (football), Sadina Shrestha (basketball) and Aruna Shahi (volleyball).

The 17th edition of the Award is scheduled for January 12 next year at the karate covered hall on the premises of International Sports Complex in Lalitur. The Award features a total of 10 categories.

The winners in four categories — male, female, coach and people’s choice — will receive a Pulsar motorcycle each, while others will get Rs 50,000 apiece. Hansraj Hulaschand and Company Pvt Ltd is the main sponsor of the event, while Surya Nepal, Dish Home, Royal Singi Hotel, Turkish Airlines, Ruslan, Kelme, Hotel Crown Plaza, National Sports Council and Nepal Olympic Committee are the co-sponsors and partners.

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