KATHMANDU: Boxer Deepak Maharjan, cricketer Rahul Kumar BK and footballer Rohit Chand led the star billings in the male category as cricket and football dominated NSJF’s Pulsar Sports Awards nominations that was declared here today.
Apart from Rahul, national U-19 skippers Prithu Baskota and Nary Thapa, Sarita Magar and coaches Samson Jung Thapa and Jagat Tamata were nominated in four different categories from cricket.
Rahul, also a nominee in the Popular Player of the Year category, was nominated in the male category alongside Nepal’s lone 16th Asian Games medallist Deepak, Nepal’s second FIDE Master Bilam Lal Shrestha, Rohit and bodybuilder Shyam Shrestha.
Rahul became the only Nepali bowler to pick up 21 wickets in a single tournament following his splendid performance in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup in Thailand. His 8-15 against Thailand is so far the best figure in the age group cricket.
Deepak saved Nepal’s blushes winning a bronze in the Asiad, while he also took a bronze in the King’s Cup in Thailand. Star defender Rohit proved himself in last one year when he was listed among the top five foreign footballers in India’s top flight football while playing from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Nepal owe a lot to Rohit’s sparkling performance in the defense line for making it to the AFC Challenge Cup finals. Bilam became the second FIDE Master of Nepal in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Russia. Bodybuiliding made its breakthrough in the Awards where Shyam was nominated for a bronze medal finish in the World Men’s Bodybuilindg Championship and a gold in the seventh South Asian Bodybuilding Championship in 65kg category.
Footballers Jamuna Gurung and Anu Lama — who played crucial role in Nepal’s runner-up finish in the first SAFF Women’s Championship in Bangladesh — led the female category alongside Manita Shahi of taekwondo, Aslesha Lissanevitch of tennis and Kanchhi Maya Koju of athletics.
Anu was the best player in the tournament with 11 goals that included three hat-tricks, while skipper Jamuna netted 10 with a hat-trick.
Ashlesha clean-swept all four national tennis events and reached the 16th Asian Games women’s singles and team event quarter-finals. Manita claimed two international gold medals and a silver last year and Kanchhi Maya set a new national record clocking 49.5 seconds in the 5000m race in the 16th Asian Games and won two national half marathon titles.
Prithu, Sarita and Nary were the cricketers to dominate youth category lining up with Anish Shrestha of table tennis and judoka Phupu Lyahmu Khatri. Prithu skippered Nepal to the ACC U-19 Elite Cup final that opened gates for Nepal’s qualification for 2012 ICC U-19 World Cup.
Nary guided Nepal to second consecutive ACC U-19 Women’s Championship title in Singapore where she was adjudged the best batswoman for scoring 191 runs. In the same tournament Sarita impressed with 102 runs and picked up four wickets. Judoka Phupu claimed a bronze in the Asian Youth and Junior Judo Championship and Anish bagged two bronze medals in the South Asian Table Tennis Championship in Dehradun.
Coaches Samson and Jagat dominated the coach of the year category which also includes football’s Dhruba KC, Prachanda Sharma of boxing and Gyanendra Nakarmi of Bodybuilding. Samson guided Nepal to ACC U-19 Women’s Championship title and under Jagat Nepal reached the final of the ACC U-19 Elite Cup final.
Dhruba, meanhwhile, accounted to Nepal’s second place finish in the SAFF Women’s Championship, while it was under Prachanda’s guidance that Deepak managed to claim a bronze in the Asian Games. Under Gyanendra, Nepal claimed two international gold medals and a bronze in bodybuilding.
The players and coaches were nominated for the September 11 ceremony by the five-member selection committee headed by NSJF secretary Mahesh Acharya. Binod Pandey, Ujjwol Acharya, Himesh Bajracharya and Prajeet Shakya are the other members of the committee.
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
