Sports
Paragliders feted with cash rewards
National Sports Council (NSC) feted the silver medallist paragliding team of the 18th Asian Games with cash rewards on Wednesday.National Sports Council (NSC) feted the silver medallist paragliding team of the 18th Asian Games with cash rewards on Wednesday.
All five members of the men’s paragliding cross country team were handed over Rs 500,000 each after parading them in on chariot ride. Nepali team consisting of Bimal Adhikari, Bijay Gautam, Sushil Gurung, Yukesh Gurung and Bishal Thapa had finished behind Japan to claim silver in the event. Coach Sanu Babu Sunar received Rs 300,000 and coach Yogesh Bhattarai got Rs 150,000. The paragliding association was rewarded with Rs 600,000. Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bishwakarma, NSC member secretary Keshab Kumar Bista among others presented the letters of appreciations to the team members.
The paragliders saved the Nepali blushes by striking the only medal in Jakarta. Nepal fielded a 187-strong players in 29 sports disciplines in the Asiad. The medal winning-team was taken to city ride on a chariot from Tripureswor en route to Exhibition Road, Sundhara, Ratnapark and Old Bus Park.
Bista lauded the paragliders for their historic achievement and promised to help develop the sports. Team skipper Adhikari credited the success to hard work of all the team members. He also thanked Nepal Olympic Committee for ensuring the team’s participation.
Sports minister Bishwakarma however was disappointed with the team’s overall outcome and also promised a performance review. Acknowledging that Nepal had a very low expectation from the Games due to poor infrastructures and preparations, Bishwakarma said: “We failed to win anything from those sports we were pinning hopes for medals. We need to built infrastructures and invest heavily to increase the medal prospect.”
Only once before had Nepal won a silver in the Asiad. Taekwondoka Sabita Rajbhandari had won the individual silver medal in the 1998 Bangkok Asiad. Nepal has so far won 24 medals in the Asiad including 22 bronze and two silver medals. Among them taekwondo has fetched 14 medals. Boxing has six and karate three medals.