NPC win first gold medal

Nabita Shrestha (left) and Elina Maharjan against Swechha Nemwang and Raveena Maharjan during the Women’s double final of table tennis tournament under the eighth National Games on Thursday. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, Aril 11

Nepal Police Club and Nepal APF Club won team event gold medals of the table tennis tournament under the eighth National Games today.

NPC defeated departmental rivals Nepal APF Club 3-1 in the final of the women’s team event to claim the first gold medal of the national sporting extravaganza being held in Province-5.

The NPC took 2-0 lead after Elena Maharjan defeated Selisha Khadgi 3-2 and Nabita Shrestha outplayed Anita Maharjan 3-0. APF reduced the deficit when Sikka Suwal registered a 3-1 victory over Manju Suwal of NPC. National champion Nabita Shrestha then sealed the gold medal for NPC with a 3-1 victory over Selisha Khadgi in the fourth match.

In men’s team event final, APF registered a 3-0 victory over Tribhuvan Army Club. Shiva Sundar Gothe defeated Bodip BC 3-0, while Purushottam Bajracharya beat Krishna Thapa Magar 3-2.

Mani Kumar Lama then beat Prajwol Shrestha 3-1 to seal the victory.

Nabita and Elena bagged their second gold medal of the day when the NPC pair defeated TAC duo Swechha Nembang and Raveena Maharjan 11,8, 11- 7, 11-8 in the women’s doubles final.

Fencing players in action under the eighth National Games on Thursday. Photo: THT

Fencing

Jalindra Shahi of Tribhuvan Army Club won the men’s Foil event gold medal of fencing tournament at the Nepalgunj Stadium covered hall. Shahi registered a 15-11 victory over fellow TAC player Rajan Raj Khadka in the final. Nepal APF Club duo Gyanendra Timalsina and Sher Singh Airee bagged bronze medals.

A total of 129 players from seven teams are taking part in the tournament that offers 12 gold medals.

Indira Paudel of TAC beat Januka Syangtang of APF 15-8 to win the women’s Epee Individual gold medal, while APF’s Anita Karki and Pujan Kumal got bronze. Likewise, TAC’s Kamala Shrestha won the Sabre Individual section good beating her teammate Ashmita Basnet 15-10. Shikshya Napit of Province-3 and Raveena Thapa of TAC were joint third.

Basketball

Nepal Police Club, Farwest Province, Nepal APF Club and Tribhuvan Army Club registered victories in the basketball tournament in Dang. In the men’s section matches, NPC hammered Karnali Province 93-29, while Farwest registered a 65-21 victory over Province-2. Likewise, TAC hammered Gandaki Province 78-37 and APF earned a 74-40 win against Province-5.

A total of 18 teams — 10 in men and eight in women’s sections — are taking part in the tournament. The participating teams are divided into two groups and the tournament is being played under league-cumknockout format. The women’s event will begin on Saturday.

Earlier, Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Krishna Kumar Devkota inaugurated the tournament.

Krishnaa Thapa (right) of Gandaki Province returns to Shalini Ghimire durin their women’s squash tournament under the eighth National Games at Satdobato in Lalitpur on Thursday. Photo: THT

Squash

Rajendra Shakya and Prabin BS Kansakar of Province-3, Deepak Thapa of Province-2, and Amrit Thapa Magar of Gandaki Province advanced to the men’s section semi-finals of the squash tournament at the Nepal Squash Academy in Lalitpur.

Shakya came from a set down to beat Province-3 teammate Amir Blon 3-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 in the quarter-final match, while Kansakar registered a 11-9, 11-2, 11-2 victory over Bikram Magar of APF. Deepak Thapa defeated Province-1’s Nishant Agrawal 11- 6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, whereas Thapa Magar outplayed Umit Shakya of APF 11-5, 11-2, 11-8.

In women’s round robin matches, Bhavana Sunuwar of Province-3 beat Shalini Ghimire of Province-4 11-2, 11-0, 11-1, and returned to register a 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 victory over her teammate Swasthani Shrestha. Bipana Blon of Province-3 defeated her teammate Manjila Magar 11- 1, 11-4, 11-4, while Krishna Thapa beat fellow Gandaki Province player Shalini Ghimire 11-2, 11-0, 11-1.

Tennis

Nepal APF Club and Tribhuvan Army Club won team event gold medals of Lawn Tennis Tournament in Devinagar, Butwal.

APF bagged the men’s team event gold with a 3-0 victory over TAC, while Province-4 and NRN finished joint third. In women’s team event final, TAC defeated APF 2-1 to win the gold medal. Province-3 and Province-4 claimed bronze medals.

In men’s singles, Bhisma Kaucha, Samrakshyak Bhushan Bajracharya, Nabin Magar and Samyak Bhushan Bajracharya advanced to the quarter-finals.

Kaucha defeated Sanjay Shrestha 7-5, 6-3, 7-6, while Samrakshyak beat Dawa Sonam Sherpa 6-3, 6-1. Also, Magar outplayed Ibek Joshi 6-1, 6-1 and Samyak bagged a double bagel against Nishant Shrestha.

In women’s singles, Prerana Koirala defeated Eni Mathema 6-2, 6-2 to make it to the last four, while Rayana Shah advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Shreya Bhattarai.

Likewise, Ram Bahadur BK and Shesh Mani Chaudhary advanced to the men’s doubles quarter-finals along with Chandra Thapa/Bikash Khadka and Samrakshyak Bhushan Bajracharya/Amrit Paudel. In mixed doubles, Anil Shahi and Ganga Sharma made it to the last eight along with Pranav Khanal and Abhilash Bista, and Ivan-ho Lissanevitch and Aslesha Lissanevitch.

A total of 43 players — 28 men and 15 women — from six teams are taking part in the tournament that offers seven gold medals. The tournament will end on Monday.

Athletes wrestling each other under the eighth National Games on Thursday. Photo: THT

Wrestling

Farwest Province won three gold medals in wrestling tournament. Manisha Shahi bagged the women’s 50kg section gold beating TAC’s Laxmi Tamang, while Sabita Shrestha of Province-5 finished third. In 53kg, Simangi Dube of Farwest, TAC’s Kopila Thapa Magar and Radha Kumari of Province-1 claimed top three spots respectively, while Sangita Dhami won the 55kg section gold ahead of Sapana Shrestha of Province-5 and Amrita Limbu of Province-1.

TAC also claimed two gold medals. Kalpana BK defeated Ambika Bhandari of Farwest in the 57kg section final, while Srijana Chand came third. Also, Kabita Pun of TAC won 59kg section gold medal ahead of Kamal Khatri of Farwest and Laxmi Ura of Province-1.