Kathmandu, August 15 :

“History is in the making,” was what senior athletics coach Sushil Nar Singh Rana had to say regarding the 10th South Asian Games slated for August 18-28 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Nepal has never won more than a gold medal in one edition of the regional tournament but Rana believes Nepal could win at least three gold medals this time around. “Some of our long distance runners are currently going at the level that matches the best timing of the South Asian runners,” Rana explained the reason for his optimism.

Rana was expecting two gold medals from Rajendra Bhandari (5,000m, 3000m steeplechase) and one from Arjun Kumar Basnet (marathon). He was less optimistic in short distance.

The last two years for athletics has been the golden years considering its achievements. Records tumbled one after another, and confidence of athletes soared sky high. Athletes and officials thank Nepal-German Athletics Development Project and its director Gunter Lange for the achievement.

During the period, athletes were kept busy not only in training but also in numerous domestic and occasional international participations. The scientific and systematic training imparted not only confidence in the athletes but tremendously improved their performance. Olympian Rajendra Bhandari and Nirmala Bharati are two bright stars who have kept on improving their standards.

With an objective to prepare athletes for the SAG, Nepal Athletics Association (NAA), in coordination with Nepal-German Athletics Development Project, had been training athletes

since March 2005. “Considering the progress made by these athletes, we have a lot of hopes from them,” coach Rana, who is specialised in long distance run, said.

To prepare for the 10,000m, NAA made Bharati take part in over-distance tournaments and Bharati did not disappoint. She broke seven national records — thrice in half marathon, twice in 10,000m and once in 5,000m and 3,000m. The scientific training showed effect in double silver medallists in the ninth SAF Games Bhandari as well. He also recorded a national record in 10,000 metre and 2,000m steeplechase.

Athletics has given Nepal four gold medals so far in the SAF Games, all of them in marathon. Baikuntha Manandhar won three of them in the first three SAF Games while Tika Bogati bagged another in the seventh edition. Manandhar still holds the SAF marathon record of 2:15:03 set in the third SAF Games in Kolkata in 1987.

SQUAD: Men — Rajendra Bhandari (5,000m, 3,000 steeplechase), Arjun Kumar Basnet (marathon), Gyan Bahadur Bohara (5,000m), Prem Bahadur Mahat (1,500m, 800m), Arjun Prashad Dhakal (marathon), Dhirendra Jung Shah (javelin), Akkal Bahadur Bohara (10,000m), Bal Krishna Chaudhary (high jump), Yam Bahadur Pudasaini (10,000m), Gopal KC (100m), Tika Ram Shah (400m, 400m hurdles);

Women — (Chandra Kala Thapa (100m, 4x100m), Kanchhi Maya Koju (5,000m, 10,000m, 4x400m), Nirmala Bharati (10,000m, 4x400), Chhaya Khatri (800m, 1,500m, 4x400m), Sabitri Nepali (800m, 4x400m)