• Four taekwondo teams Manila-bound to take part in Asian Championships

Lalitpur, April 12 A seven-member Nepali taekwondo team is on Wednesday leaving for the Philippines to take part in the Asian Taekwondo Qualifying Championship for this year’s Rio Olympic Games. Nish Rawal, who is training under Olympics scholarship for a year, will fight in the below-67kg weight category in the championship slated for April 16-17 in Manila. Players from the Philippines, Tazikistan, Iran and Cambodia are in fray for the two slots available for the Rio Olympics. Rawal said she would give her best in the selection tournament. “There is no external pressure on me but I am feeling pressure from within myself to qualify for the Olympic Games,” said Rawal. “I am confident of winning the berth,” added Rawal, who won the gold medal in the Asian Cities’ Tournament in Hong Kong earlier this year. This will be fifth international participation for Rawal, who also won the silver medal in Universiad Games in South Korea. Rawal is one of the six Nepali athletes who has been selected for the Olympic scholarship since January last year. She receives $670 per month for training and allowance. Sangina Baidya and Deepak Bista have made their names in Nepali sports when the taekwondo aces won the tickets to Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics respectively. “Unlike other sports that get wildcard entries to the Olympics, we have to win the berth to play in the world stage,” said Bista at a farerwell ceremony. “Rawal has been training hard for a long time and I hope she will be able to live up to her expectations,” he added. “We are sure that her hard works and Nepal Olympic Committee’s investment will not be wasted,” added Bista. Lama Tendi Sherpa, general secretary of Nepal Olympic Committee, bade farewell to Rawal and coach Jae Ho Lee, who has been looking after the players for more than a month. Other players who will try their luck in the Olympic qualifying include Neema Gurung, Ranjan Shrestha and Bir Bahadur Mahara. Kasim Miya Dhobi is the manager, while Nepal Taekwondo Association president Prakash Shumsher Rana is the team leader. A seven-member team will participate in the 22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships to be held in Manila from April 19-20. Rejina Karki, Yan Kumari Chaulagain, Gyani Chunara, Ayasha Shakya and Saksham Karki will participate in the championship. Coach Lee and official Hemanta Dangi will accompany the players to Manila. Also, a four-member team is all set to take part in the second Para Taekwondo Championships in Manila on April 18. Ranjana Dhami, Sita Bhandari and Rohit Hang Rai will take part in the championships, while Yadav Kunwar is the coach. Likewise, Parbati Gurung will participate in the fourth Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championhip in Manila on April 18. Minister for Youth and Sports Satya Narayan Mandal bade farewell to the teams.