KATHMANDU: The Nepal Olympic Committee has selected 11 athletes for the Olympic Scholarship Programme to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The NOC has picked up two players each from archery, karate, shooting and swimming and one apiece from judo, weightlifting and taekwondo. According to NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha, the players will undergo special training under the Olympic Scholarship Programme.

The selected players will get $500 per month apart from other facilities to take part in the qualifying events of their respective sports disciplines. “The athletes can spend the scholarship amounts in training, coaches and other Olympic-related preparations,” said Shrestha.

Archers Gyanu Awale and Tilak Pun Magar, judoka Indra Bahadur Shrestha, karatekas Anu Adhikari and Naveen Rasaili, shooters Sushmita Nepal and Kalpana Pariyar, swimmers Gaurika Singh and Shuvam Shrestha, lifter Kamala Shrestha and taekwondo player Bir Bahadur Mahara are the athletes selected for the Olympic Scholarship Programme.