Tara Devi Pun set three national records in the women’s weightlifting 75kg division on Sunday as Nepal’s medal drought continued on the ninth day of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nepal’s dismal performance in boxing and karate, the disciplines with chances of breaking the medal drought, continued with defeats in all bouts on Sunday, lifter Pun have something to cheer on by setting the new national records. Among the 29 disciplines Nepal had enter in the Asiad, 18 have already signed off without any signification performance, let alone a medal. Of the 187 Nepali players, 123 have already completed their participation.    

 The 2016 South Asian Games (SAG) bronze medallist Pun lifted 74kg in snatch and 101kg in clean & jerk for a total lift of 175kg to better her own national records. Her previous best mark was 73kg in snatch, 97kg in clean & jerk and 170kg in total, which she set in Nepalgunj three months earlier. With Pun’s show, Nepal complete their weightlifting campaign with three lifters improving on the national records. Lifter Sanju Chaudhary and Kamal Bahadur Adhikari had set national records in Indonesia. “I am extremely happy to set new national records at such a big arena. I always try to give my best and I have been successful here as well,” said Pun who had also represented Nepal in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

Table tennis

Both men’s and women’s team lost their matches on Sunday. The men’s team lost to China and Malaysia while the women’s team went down against Malaysia and Singapore.  In the women’s team event, Nepali team comprising of Swechchha Nembang, Nabita Shrestha and Rabina Maharjan lost 3-0 to Malaysia. Nembang lost 11-8, 11-2, 13-11 against Ho Ying,  Nepal 1 Shrestha went down 14-12, 11-9, 11-5 to Li Sian Alice Chang and Maharjan prolonged was beaten 11-4, 11-5, 12-14, 11-4 against Karen Lyne Dick. The women’s team also failed to win a single game against Singapore. Nembang lost 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 to Tianwei Feng, Shrestha went down 11-3, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6 to Tianwei Feng.

In the men’s team event, Nepali team consisting of Amar Lal Malla, Santoo Shrestha and Deep Saun were drawn in Group ‘A’ with China, Malaysia, North Korea and Laos. In the first match against China, Malla lost 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 to Zhendong Fan, Shrestha crashed to a 11-1,  11-5, 11-3 defeat against Gaoyuan Lin and Saun went down 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 to Chiquin Wang. Against Malaysia, the men’s team lost 3-0. Shrestha lost 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11 to Chee Feng Leong, Malla went down 11-7, 13-11, 11-6 against Muhamad Ashraf Haiqal and Deep lost 15-13, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7 to Wen Jie Chin.

Karate

All three karatekas lost their first round bouts on Sunday. In the women’s U-61kg weight division Sunita Maharjan lost to Arm Sukkiaw of Thailand 4-1. The men’s event also saw Sonam Lama and Bijay Lama crash out early. Sonam went down 3-0 against Vietnam’s Van Hai Nguyen in the U-60kg division first round bout. In the U-67kg division, Bijay lost 1-0 to Japan’s Hiroto Shinohara, the gold medallist of the 2014 Incheon Asiad. Of eight Nepali karatekas, six have already lost their bouts and two others are scheduled to play on Monday. Diwas Shrestha have got direct entry into quarter-final in the men’s U-84kg division and Anu Adhikari will take on opponent from Macau in the women’s U-50kg division pre-quarterfinal match.

Boxing

Bishnu Prashad Ghale Gurung and Prem Chaudhary both lost their pre-quarterfinal matches. Competed in the men’s 69kg division Gurung lost to Thulasimaaran Tharumalingam of Qatar 5-0 while Chaudhary also suffered a 5-0 defeat against Ladon Rogen of Philippines in the men’s 52kg division.

Sepaktakraw

Nepali men’s team lost 2-0 to China in their Group ‘B’ match of the men’s regu event. Rupesh Sunar, Dipesh Jung Thapa, Govinda Magar, Sanjeet Dhimal and Rabin Bhatta went down 21-4, 21-9 . Earlier Nepal had suffered identical 2-0 defeats against Malaysia and South Korea. The Nepal team is scheduled to take on India on Monday.

Paragliding

Nepali men’s team retained third position in the team cross country paragliding after the completion of second round. Bimal Adhikari, Bijay Gautam, Sushil Gurung, Yukesh Gurung and Bishal Thapa have earned 2,949 points. Leaders Indonesia have 3818 and second-placed South Korea 3139 points. Japan are behind Nepal on 2757 points. In the women’s team cross country, Nepal dropped one spot down to fifth after second round. Pratima Bhujel, Trisha Shrestha Bomjan and Sabita Tamang have earned 638 points. South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand occupy top four positions. The event to be played over five round and will end on Wednesday.

Golf

Nepali golfers rounded up their campaign far below their own standing failing to even break the par in all four rounds. Sukra Bahadur Rai was the best of the four golfers with a disappointing four-round card of 27-over 315 placing him in the 57th overall position. Rai’s four-over 76 in the second round was the best card of the Nepali golfer. Tanka Bahadur shot eight-over 80 on Monday for a total of 29-over 317 while Prithvi Malla fared even poorly, his five-over 77 on Sunday put him in the 74th place with 36-over 324. Ajit BK fared even worse with a total card of 39-over 327. Keita Nakajima of Japan won the individual gold medal with a four-round card of 11-under 277.

Nepal finished 1th in the team event.