Six more karatekas qualify for SAG

Himalayan News Service

HETAUDA: Anu Adhikari, Ganga Adhikari, Sunil Lama, Binod Maharjan, Kushal Shrestha and Binod Shakya booked their tickets to the 11th South Asian Games on Tuesday.


On Tuesday, Anu of Central Region defeated Roji Nagarkoti of Nepal APF Club in the 55kg section final, while Ganga of APF finished first in the 61kg after she prevailed over Western Region’s Ganga Adhikari.


In men’s kumite, Sunil Lama of APF defeated the 10th SA Games bronze medallist Rabindra Dahal of NPC in the 55kg final, while Binod Maharjan of NPC claimed the top spot in the 60kg section beating Ram Limbu of Eastern Region, who had won the silver medal in the 10th SA Games in Colombo in 2006.


In the 67kg, the lone kumite gold medallist of the 10th SA Games Kushal Shrestha of Eastern Region outplayed Bhesh Bahadur Thapa of Tribhuvan Army Club. Binod Shakya of Central Region beat Lekh Nath Mainali of TAC in the 75kg section final.


The six players -- four in men and two in women’s kumite -- selected from the National Karate Selection Tournament in Hetauda completed the Nepali roster of 15 players for the January 29 to February 9 regional meet. The first day had selected nine players in kata section.


Subhadra Shrestha of Nepal Police Club was selected for women’s individual and team kata sections. The women’s kata team also includes Chanchala Danuwar, Sangita Dangol and Suman Lama.


Parshuram Bastola of Central Region was selected in the men’s individual kata, while NPC’s Ganesh Bahadur Thing, Kedar Simkhada, Mande Kaji Shrestha and Nir Bahadur Muktan formed the team kata.


Out of the selected 15 players, nine are from NPC, three from Central Region, two from APF and one from Eastern Region. A total of 144 players across the nation had participated in the selection tournament. Regional Administrator of Central Development Region Rudra Kumar Shrestha, AIG of Nepal Police Navaraj Dhakal and General Secretary of Nepal Karate Federation Kedar Babu Siwakoti gave away certificates to the winners.

NKA name teams


KATHMANDU: Nepal Kabaddi Association on Monday selected the kabaddi teams for the 11th SA Games. Both the men and women’s teams include 16 players with two reserve players each. The final 14 in the men’s team includes six players from Tribhuvan Army Club — Dambar Baduwal, Mahesh Bohara, Jay Bohara, Bhuwan Khadka, Man Bahadur Ranabhat and Hem Bahadur Basnet. Sanjay Shrestha, Kebal Rawat and Amar Deep Shrestha of Dhanusha, Munna Patel of Bara, Dharme Sunuwar of Kanchanpur, Naresh Chaudhary of Nawalparasi, Shyam Krishna Basukala of Bhaktapur and Devesh Jha of Saptari are also in the team. Chet Narayan Chaudhary and Yuvaraj Shrestha are named the reserves.


Likewise, the women’s team consists of Sangita Gautam, Saraswoti Thapa, Netra Thapa, Shanti Malla, Nirmala Bista and Nitu Gurung of Nepal Police Club. Kosmaya Basnet, Minu Gurung, Kalpana Shrestha, Sushila Magar and Rajani Gurung are from NPC. Sajana Tamang of Nuwakot, Ambika Mandal of Dhanusha and Ramita Thapa Magar of Morang completed the final 14. Keli Gurung of TAC and Rukmini Chand of NPC are the reserve players. — HNS


Boxers announced


KATHMANDU: Nepal Boxing Association on Tuesday announced the names of the 12 boxers including six reserves to be kept under the closed camp for the 11th SA Games. Sachin Raut (48kg), Ajit Gurung (60kg) and Sushil Ghimire (64kg) are the Nepal APF Club players among the six players selected for the SA Games. Others short-listed for the final round of training are Laxman Saut of Far-western Region (51kg), Devendra Raj Singh Thakuri of TAC (54kg) and Dinesh Shrestha of NPC (57kg). Among the reserve players are Laxuman Tamang (54kg) and Purna Bahadur Lama (57kg) of APF, Sudan Gurung (64kg) and Anil Gurung (69kg) of TAC, and Central Region’s Rajan Shilpakar (75kg) and Deepak Maharjan (81kg). Senior chief coach Prachanda Sharma, senior chief assistant coach Om Maskey, coach Dambar Dutta Bhatta and assistant coach Raj Shrestha will train the boxers. Rajeev Shrestha has been named the team manager. — HNS


Shooters selected


LALITPUR: Nepal Shooting Association on Tuesday selected 12 shooters in four events for the 11th SA Games. Krishna Ghodasaini of Tribhuvan Army club accumulated 565 points to finish first in the men’s Air Rifle, ahead of Tika Ram Shrestha (564) and Chanas Rai (560) of Central Region. The Nepal Police Club players made a clean sweep in women’s section with Fulmaya Kyapchhyaki coming first with 376 points. Ashmita Rai and Manika Rai came second and third respectively with 373 points


each. In the men’s Air Pistol, Baruddin Ansari of Central Region earned 561 points to finish first, while Sudan Khadka (548)


of TAC and Anil Shah (544) of NPC came second and third. In the women’s section, Krishna Thapa of Central Region came first with 369 points, ahead of Sabita Basnet (361) of NPC and Sima Tuladhar (351). — HNS