Colombo, August 26 :

Karateka Deepak Shrestha lost to Sri Lanka’s PMSP Mudalige in the men’s 60kg kumite bout that was marred by several protests from the Nepali camp here at the Sugathdasa Indoor Stadium. The Nepali became furious after the referees started awarding unearned points to the Sri Lankan player while denying Deepak’s genuine attempts.

The bout did not progress beyond the first round after Deepak protested against the decisions and sat on the mat unmoved. The referees announced Mudalige the winner with 12 seconds remaining, with Deepak trailing 7-13. The Nepali players and officials then gathered at the centre and protested against the biased decision. After a half-an-hour protest, the competition resumed.

The day was not favourable for Nepal. In the next bout, Amrita Shakya faced the similar treat. Of the already furious squad, one lost temper and threw ice packs into the ring. The bout was disturbed and Nepali squad was threatened by the organisers.

Amrita ultimately lost to India’s SR Gharu 3-5 in the final. Krishna Kala KC won a bronze medal after she went down to Sri Lankan T Perrera in the semi-final.

Nepal won a silver and a bronze in women’s Judo. Debu Thapa (63kg) lost to India’s Garima Chaudhary in final, while Indira Rai (57kg) bagged a bronze.