Rajendra bags another Gold for Nepal
Rajendra Bahadur Bhandari won another gold medal for Nepal in the 3000m steeplechase event, in the 10th South Asian Games (SAG), at the Sugathdasa Outdoor stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka Saturday evening.
Rajendra Bahadur Bhandari, 29, put in another excellent performance of 8 min 51.77 s to take the Gold. "I am happy to make my country proud with two gold medals," Bhandari said and added, "I accomplished my duty with dedication". Bhandari won his first Gold medal a day earlier in the 5000 m marathon.
Bhandari also became the first Nepalese athlete to win two gold medals in Athletics. "He is the best athlete of Nepal and we (the Army) should honor his feat," Army sports chief Lt. Binod Bista told Nepalnews.
Chef-de-mission and member secretary of National Sports Council, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, along with other Athletics officials greeted Bhandari after the feat. "This feat gives us extra joy," Shrestha told Nepalnews.
Taekwondo
Nepal's performance in Taekwondo continued with only one-of-three finalists succeeding in winning the event for Gold. Manita Shahi defeated Sri Lankan PMAG Sandamalee by 8-2. In the other finals, Nepal's Ayasha Shakya went down to India’s Varsha Bende while Padma Gurung lost to Jayalani Gomes of Sri Lanka.
Karate
Dipak Shrestha's hopes of winning gold in South Asian Games for third consecutive edition was not to be as he went down to Lankan Mudaligi 13-7 in the first round. Amrita Shakya of Nepal won a silver medal after losing to India. Similarly, four other ladies players also went down in the first round.
Football
Nepal defeated India 2-0 to clinch the bronze medal at the Police Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jumanu Rai scored an opener early in the 4th minute and Pradeep Maharjan doubled the tally in the 13th minute to ensure a deserved victory.
Judo
Devu Thapa won a silver medal in 63 kg category while Indira Rai won a bronze medal in the ladies 57 kg category.
Prize money
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced Rs 50,000 each to the Nepalese football players after they won the Bronze medal beating India.
"We have declared to provide the amount after watching their performance in the SAG," ANFA President Ganesh Thapa told SoccerAgeNepal.
Additionally Thapa also announced a G5 motorbike to Nepal's Rajendra Bahadur Bhandari after his second gold haul within 24 hours.
"This is from the civil society and I belong to that category," the ANFA President said and added, "the civil society decided to honor him seeing his jubilant performance in the 10th SA Games".
Nepal has won 8 Gold, 12 Silver and 22 Bronze medals (as of Aug 26 evening).
nepalnews.com Bikram Thapa (in Colombo) Aug 26 06
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