KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 10
Fencer Shikshya Napit won first gold medal for Bagmati Province in the ninth National Games in Pokhara today.
Napit defeated Urmila Lama of Nepal APF Club in the final of the women's individual Sabre event. Trihuvan Army Club duo Rabina Thapa and Manisha Shrestha finished joint third.
TAC dominated the women's Epee event. Indira Poudel defeated her TAC teammate Sita Pathak in individual event final, while another TAC fencer Pujan Kumal and APF's Januka Syangtan finished joint third.
In men's section, Jalendra Shahi of Sudurpashchim Province claimed gold medal, while Sanjeep Lama of Bagmati bagged silver. TAC's Bir Singh Shahi and APF's Sher Singh Airee finished joint third.
A total of 144 players - 24 each from six teams - are taking part in the tournament that features three events in Epee, Foil and Sabre. Bagmati Province Sports Development Council Member Secretary Surya Lal Bhandari, Sudurpashchim Province Member Secretary Deepak Singh and National Sports Council Administrative Department Chief Madhu Sudan Basnet handed over the prizes to the winners.
Handball
Tribhuvan Army Club teams recorded victories in handball on the opening day. TAC thrashed Bagmati Province 43-8 in men's section match riding on eight goals from Akash Adhikari.
In other matches at the Pokhara Multipurpose Covered Hall, Chandra KC scored 10 goals as Gandaki outplayed Madhesh 66-13, while Nepal APF Club recorded a 36-13 victory over Lumbini Province.
Sandip Karki of APF and Saran Thapa of Lumbini netted nine goals each. In women's section, Shantikala Rai scored 14 goals as TAC hammered Mad-hesh Province 46-2, while Province-I registered a 26-2 victory over Karnali riding on nine goals from Usal Rai.
Cricket
Nepal Police Club defeated Karnali Province by 63 runs under Duckworth-Lewis method in their women's cricket debut match.
Batting first, NPC scored 110-6 in a match which was reduced to 16-over-a-side due to wet outfield. Karnali were struggling at 17-7 in 10.2 overs before rain stopped play. Dikshya Puri was top scorer for Karnai with seven runs, while five batters failed to open their accounts. Sabnam Rai, Sangita Rai, Kabita Joshi, Ishwori Bista and Hiranmayee Roy bagged one wicket each for NPC, who entered the domestic cricket from this tournament.
Earlier, Sanjhana Khadka top scored for NPC, while openers Kajal Shrestha and Kabita Kunwar scored 16 runs each. Rewati Dhami contributed 14 runs. Anju Gurung bagged three wickets for Karnali, while Bina Thapa and Anjila Chhetry grabbed one wicket each. Samjhana Khadka of NPC was named the player of the match. The second match of the day between Province-I and Lumbini was washed out without a ball bowled. They earned one point each.
NPC became the first team to bag gold medal in the ninth National Games after the departmental side defeated Tribhuvan Army Club in the men's section final in Kathmandu last month. Sudurpaschchhim Province came third in the event played at TU Stadium.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 11, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
