Kathmandu, August 9

Record-breaking athlete Ajit Kumar Yadav today received the TVS motorcycle, around four months after getting the dummy keys, from Nepal Athletics Association.

The NAA had on March 27 felicitated Yadav and his coach Dhaniram Chaudhary for the historic achievement in the third Asian Youth Athletics Championship held in Hong Kong. The NAA had handed over the dummy keys to Yadav and announced Rs 100,000 to his coach Chaudhary.

Yadav had won the 3,000m race with the timing of eight minutes and 30.32 seconds, claiming the first ever gold medal at the Asian level on March 17. Rajendra Bhandari had won gold in 5,000m race in Asian All-Star Athletics Championship in Singapore in 2004 but that was an invitational tournament.

Yadav left behind athletes from India and Yemen to finish first in the race and the NAA had organised a grand felicitation programme inviting top businessmen to honour the athlete at the Annapuna Hotel. Excited with the feat, the NAA announced rewards for Yadav and his coach but it took the athletics governing body four months to hand over prizes.

The NAA organised another programme to reward the athlete today. Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Sunar, National Sports Council Vice-president Pitamber Timsina and NSC Member Secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal handed over the TVS Stryker motorcycle to Yadav and Rs 100,000 to coach Chaudhary.

During the felicitation programme in March, Nabil Bank, Golchha Organisation, Ruslan, Gold Star and Annapurna Hotel had announced Rs 12,000 each to Yadav for a year. But the athlete has not received a penny yet. “I have not received any amount from any company but the NAA officials today assured me of providing the amount in a week or two,” said Yadav.