Just because a bunch of accomplished coaches suggest changing things doesn’t mean they should be seriously considered.

If the first half is any indication of how big of a year boxing will have, then the sport will continue its rebirth.

KATHMANDU: National cricket team skipper Paras Khadka and Shova Gauchan of Badminton won Player of the Year honours of the Pulsar Sports Award 2075 hosted by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum at Army Officers Club, Kathmandu, on Thursday.

Skipper Khadka won the men’s category title leaving behind his teammate Sandeep Lamichhane, badminton player Dipesh Dhami, judoka Indra Bahadur Shrestha and golfer Tanka Bahadur Karki.

Likewise, shuttler Gauchan lifted female’s category title ahead of footballer Sabitra Bhandari, boxer Bimala Shrestha, archer Gyanu Awale and table tennis player Nabita Shrestha.

Similarly, Jagat Tamata was named the best coach of the year while Syantu Shrestha of table tennis has won the People’s Choice Award. Cricket’s Binod Das, Chhiring Lopsang Gurung of football, Prakash Thapa Magar from boxing and Jayant Kumar Shrestha of badminton were other nominees for the coach of the Year category.

People’s choice winner Shrestha left behind Man Bahadur Shrestha of volleyball, crickter Lamichhane, football’s Kiran Kumar Limbu and golfer Pratima Sherpa. The winners of the Male, Female, Coach and Peoples’ Choice were given a trophy and Pulsar NS motorbike each.

Meanwhile, cricketer Lamichhane was declared best youth player of the year. Lamichhane’s U-19 team captain Dipendra Singh Airi, footballer Dinesh Henjan, Manita Shrestha and Punam Rawal were other nominees in the category.

Ashok KC was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Nepal’s football sector and Himal Lamsal of Nepal Army was honoured with para athlete award for his contribution to wheelchair basketball and in cricket among the differently-abled athletes. Karan KC of National Cricket Team was awarded with a special award.

Those winning the title of the best youth player, lifetime achievement, para athlete and special award walked home with a trophy and Rs 50,000 each. Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Bishwakarma and other guests distributed the awards.

The post Khadka, Gauchan bag PoY Awards appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, taking him to the end of the 2020-21 season.

If Guardiola sees out the contract he will have spent five years at City, longer than his spells as manager of Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

Women are definitely not seen in the same light as men, especially in the sporting world,” says Allyson Felix, with a clarity and directness every bit as startling as the speed she will display over 150m in Manchester on Friday night. “There are so many women – Serena Williams springs immediately to mind – who are never fully appreciated for what they do, and I hope that changes for the next generation.”

Related: Garbiñe Muguruza: ‘For some people it’s hard to allow an athlete to be feminine’

• ICC looking to reduce home advantage in Test championship
• ECB warned counties and MCC could form breakaway body

Next summer’s Ashes series in England could be the first in 141 years of Test cricket to be played without the toss taking place as the International Cricket Council considers ways to reduce the impact of home advantage in its World Test Championship.

England’s attempt to wrestle the urn back from Australia in 2019 is set to be the first series of the new nine-country competition . According to ESPNCricinfo, the ICC’s cricket committee will debate removing the toss when it meets in Mumbai at the end of May.

West Ham are ready to make a formal approach for Rafael Benítez and are giving serious consideration to triggering the £6m release clause in the Newcastle United manager’s contract.

Benítez is the first choice to replace David Moyes, with Manuel Pellegrini’s wage demands likely to prove prohibitive, and there is increasing concern at Newcastle that he will move to West Ham if he receives a satisfactory offer.

• Irish rider bursts clear on home straight to win stage 12
• Simon Yates retains advantage as leader in pink jersey

Sam Bennett sped away from the chasing pack to win stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish on the famous motor racing track at Imola as Simon Yates kept hold of the pink jersey.

Bennett recorded his second win of this year’s race after making his move down the home straight, and held off Danny van Poppel (LottoNL-Jumbo), with Niccolò Bonifazio (Bahrain-Merida) in third. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider had ended Ireland’s 31-year wait for a Giro stage win in the seventh stage last Friday.

The Pro Bowl quarterback has thrown for 6,991 yards and 45 touchdowns in his first two seasons in Dallas.

The Lightning woke up from their two-game slumber against the Capitals and looked more like the team favored in the East finals. That could change when, or if, Nicklas Backstrom returns