Kathmandu, September 8:

Hamdard (wakf) Laboratory honoured the 10th South Asian Games gold medallists here at a award ceremony to celebrate its centenary occasion.

Minister for Education and Sports Prof Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar presented Rs 5,000 and felicitation letter to the eight gold medallists. Manandhar also honoured Dr Rishi Ram Koirala and Dr Khwaja Ali Shah with the Hamdard Centenary Awards.

Athlete Rajendra Bhandari became Nepal’s first-ever double gold medallist when he won 5,000m with SAG record and 3,000m steeplechase, while taekwondo ace Deepak Bista completed his hat-trick of gold medals in Colombo.

Kamal Bahadur Adhikari won first-ever gold medal in Weight Lifting for Nepal, whereas Bina Khadka Lama and Raj Kumar Rasaili won gold medals in the newly-introduced Wushu. Manita Shahi of Taekwondo, Sulochana Sijakhwa and Kushal Shrestha of Karate were the other gold medallists. Nepal won 55 medals — nine gold, 15 silver and 31 bronze —at the 10th edition of the regional tournament held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from August 18-28.

Manandhar said that the country was proud of the medallists and wished best lucks for the Asian Games. Bishwo Karan Jain, country manager of Hamdard; Rajendra Khetan, managing director of Khetan Group; Mohammad Rustam, deputy manager of sports at Hamdard; and Srijana Thapa, deputy manager, marketing at Hamdard, also expressed their views.