Colombo, August 27 :

Deepak Bista became the only second Nepali player to complete a hat-trick of gold medals when he defeated India’s Ibrahim Khan 6-3 in the Welter Weight category of the taekwondo competition at the 10th South Asian Games (SAG) here today.

“Today I succeeded in achieving what I wanted in my life,” said the 30-year-old Bista after the win. “This means a lot to me and I want to share the achievement with all the people back home,” said delighted Bista, who won gold medals in the eight SAF Games in Kathmandu in 1999 and the ninth edition in Islamabad in 2004.

Marathoner Baikuntha Manandhar was the first to achieve the feat when he won three consecutive gold in the first three SAF Games in Kathmandu, Dhaka and Kolkata. In Kolkata, Manandhar had also set the regional record of 2:15:03, which remains till date.

Bista was at his best in the final against his Indian opponent as he never trailed during the whole bout. Bista was leading 4-2 in the first round, and extended the margin to 6-2 in the second, despite being reduced a point for double warning. In the third, he was again penalised for double warning, but Khan was powerless in front of Bista.

With cheers from the stands, Bista could not stop himself from crying. With Nepal’s flag in hand, he pumped his fist and ran a victory lap around the ring. The scene at the St Joseph College was touchy as the coaches and other players took Bista’s win as a revenge over the corrupt referees.

Earlier in the semi-finals, Bista outpointed Pakistan’s Javed Karim 11-4 in an one-sided affair. After a 2-2 first round, Bista dominated the bout and made it 7-3 in the second and 11-4 in the final.

Along with Bista, taekwondo ace Sangina Baidya and karateka Deepak Shrestha were also bidding to join Manandhar, but both the players became the victim of poor refereeing. Sangina won a bronze in Fly weight, while Shrestha lost in the first round.

“When I saw my colleagues being victimised by referees, I was doubtful in winning gold. Three of us were trying to achieve the same feat, but I came under tremendous pressure after the exit of Sangina and Deepak,” added Bista, who hails from Raikawar Bich-uwa of Kanchanpur district.

“There are lots of people behind my successful career, but I remembered my god when I achieved the feat,” said emotional Bista, who wants to continue with the sport till the end of his life. “I will not give up until my body permits me to continue playing,” he added.

He started playing taekwondo from the age of 19. Apart from the SAF gold medals, he has also won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Busan in 2002.

In other bouts, Ghana Shyam Khadka lost to India’s Sandeep Kundu in the first round of the Middle Weight section, while Sunil Singh lost to Ranjith Murumudali of Sri Lanka in the first match.

The tournament was heart breaking for Nepal, who is regarded as the taekwondo powerhouse in South Asia. Out of the 14 events, Nepal won just six medals — two gold, three silver and a bronze. In the ninth edition in Islamabad, Nepal had won six gold and two bronze medals, while the best-ever performance of Nepal came in the eighth SAF Games in Kathmandu when they won 14 out of 16 gold and two silver medals.