Kathmandu, August 7

Nepal Judo Association is organising the eighth Ambika Bahadur Chhetri Memorial Open Judo Tournament at the International Sports Complex in Lalitpur from August 12-13.

The annual event is organised in memory of former Vice-president of NJA Ambika Bahadur Chhetri under the sponsorship of his family. A total of 140 players will take part in the tournament that features 16 weight categories — eight each in men and women sections, informed NJA Vice-president Baburaja Maharjan at a press meet today.

The men’s section event features below-55kg, below-60kg, below-66kg, below-73kg, below-81kg, below-90kg, below-100kg and above-100kg weight categories, while women judokas will fight in below-44kg, below-48kg, below-52kg, below-57kg, below-63kg, below-70kg, below-78kg and above-78kg weight sections.

NJA President Deepak Harsha Bajracharya said the gold and silver medallists of the tournament will be selected for the national team which will undergo closed camp training for next year’s Asian Games to be held in Indonesia. Currently there are 23 judokas in the national team formed after the seventh National Games.

Similarly, the gold medallist of the men’s below-90kg weight category will be selected for the fifth International Judo Tournament — Cup of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan — to be held in Tajikistan in October. Bajracharya also informed that NJA would send two judokas to Croatia to take part in the Junior World Judo Championship slated for October 18-22 in Zagreb. Likewise, judokas Phupu Lhamu Khatri (below-63kg), Manita Shrestha Pradhan (below-57kg) and Mohan Sunuwar (below-81kg) will take part in the World Judo Championship slated for August 28 to September 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

Chhetri’s family will bear Rs 150,000 out of the estimated budget of Rs 500,000. Meanwhile, Chhetri’s son Pramod Bahadur handed over cheque to NJA Treasurer Bipin Prasad Shrestha. “We will keep sponsoring the tournament in coming years as well,” said Pramod Bahadur Chhetri. The referee and coaching seminar for the tournament will be held on August 11.