Kathmandu, March 7

Footballer Anjan Bista and spiker Aruna Shahi won the Player of the Year awards under the Pulsar Sports Award organized by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum here today.

National football team striker Bista edged past his skipper Kiran Kumar Limbu, shuttler Prince Dahal and cricketers Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee to claim the men's section award. Bista stole the limelight in Nepal football with goals against Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in international matches.

Likewise, national volleyball team skipper Shahi, who led Nepal to the second straight title of the AVC Asian Central Zone Volleyball Championship, was named the winner in the women's section. National cricket team skipper Rubina Chhetri, former vice-captain Sita Rana Magar, boxer Punam Rawal and athlete Puspa Bhandari were the other nominees in the category.

National football team member Manish Dangi won the youth category award ahead of women's football team midfielder Preeti Rai, boxer Chhiring Wangdi Sherpa, badminton player Rasila Maharjan and volleyball player Usha Bhandari. Former national football team coach Abdullah Almutairi was declared the best coach as he edged past Deepak Maharjan (boxing), Kabiraj Negi Lama (para-taekwondo), Dav Whatmore (cricket) and Jagdish Bhatta (volleyball).

Volleyball player Usha Bhandari won the people's choice award, which was decided through public votes along with votes from sports journalists and chief coaches of the national sports associations.

Bhandari earned 38.03 percent votes, while her nearest rival, footballer Anjan Bista got 21.14 percent. Swimmer Duana Lama, tennis player Abhilasha Bista and cricketer Aasif Sheikh were the other nominees in the category.

Legendary athlete and Olympian Raghu Raj Onta was felicitated with the lifetime achievement award. The 72-year-old Onta, who was also a champion bodybuilder, also played football, rock climbing, table tennis, boxing and kayaking. The champion sprinter of his time, Onta won the national championship for seven consecutive times. He also served at National Sports Council (Treasurer), Nepal Olympic Committee (General Secretary) and Nepal Athletics Association (President).

Onta was the mentor of Baikuntha Manandhar, who won gold medal in marathon in the first South Asian Games in Kathmandu and went on to complete a hat-trick of gold medals. He was regarded as a pioneer in road race during the 1980s.

Para-Olympian Palesha Goverdhan won the para-athlete award. Goverdhan, who became the first Nepali player to register wins in Olympic Games during the Tokyo Olympics, also bagged the historic gold medal in the Asian Youth Para Games.

Likewise, Dan Bahadur Tamang and Maya Devi Moktan - parents of shuttlers Saradevi Tamang, Ratnajit Tamang and Nangshal Devi Tamang - were honoured with special award. The NSJF awarded them for giving three-star players to Nepali badminton. All three shuttlers dominated the sport and became No 1 players in their illustrated careers.

Qatar's Mohammad Hiji received the Asian sports Journalist award. The winners of male, female, youth, people's choice and coach categories received Pulsar motorcycles, while the winners of special, lifetime achievement, Asian sports journalist and para-athlete categories got Rs 50,000 each along with gift hampers.

Various artists and singers entertained the audience during the award ceremony.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 8, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.