With the Pulsar Sports Award fast approaching the heat is on to win the People’s Choice award, one of the eight categories to be presented by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) on September 11.

People’s Choice award winner is decided through SMS voting and Facebook likes. The nominees for the award include teenaged swimmer Gaurika Singh, cricketer Dipendra Singh Airee, long distance runner Kanchi Maya Koju, footballer Sujal Shrestha and judoka Phupu Lhamu Khatri. 

Singh broke into the Nepali sports arena as an 11-year-old swimmer at the National Games and hit the peak last year appearing in the Rio Olympics as the youngest athlete of the Games. Singh made headlines throughout the world that made her a unanimous pick for the award. In her short journey as a Nepali swimmer, the 14-year-old has already shattered national records 33 times, including 30 in individual events.

The new found talent Dipendra is touted as the new generation cricketer who has already made debut after emerging as an allrounder during the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Airee ended up being the highest run-getter for Nepal with 357 runs—211 of them coming for the national team. He struck four half centuries last year and has the highest score of 90 against hosts Sri Lanka in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup. His highest score with the senior team is 62 runs, which he made against Kenya during the ICC World Cricket League Championship. 

The winner of double gold medal and a silver in the seventh National Games, Koju dominated long distance running last year. She won the Kathmandu Marathon with a new national record of 2:55:57. Koju also claimed the Pinkathon half marathon with new national mark of 1:18:25 hours. In the most successful year of her career, Koju won a total of five half marathon races. 

Khatri represented Nepal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and managed to stay in the mat for full four minutes in Brazil. Apart from winning a bronze in the 17th Asian Junior Judo Championships. She also clinched a gold medal during the seventh National Games. Phupu has been a formidable opponent in the national arena where she has not lost a bout till date.

A successful midfielder in the domestic football, Sujal was pivotal in Nepal winning the AFC Solidarity Cup, the third title for Nepal in the last two years. Shrestha had struck the winner against Macau in the Solidarity Cup in Malaysia. He was instrumental when Manang Marshyangdi claimed Duhabi Gold Cup, Khaptad Gold Cup, Aaha-Rara Gold Cup and Jhapa Gold Cup titles.  

Other award categories include Male, Female  and Youth Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Para-athlete and Special.