Shrestha to go to US

KATHMANDU: The two-time South Asian Games gold medallist, Deepak Shrestha is leaving for the US to participate in the eighth ITKA World Friendship Karate Championship slated for July 1-2 in Chicago. Shrestha, who won the gold medals in the eighth (Kathmandu, 1999) and ninth (Islamabad, 2004) SAF Games, will fight in the 65kg kumite. “After taking part in the championship, I will join a training at the International Traditional Karate Association (ITKA). They have offered me the three-month training,” said Shrestha at a farewell ceremony. — HNS

Madan Memorial chess

KATHMANDU: Bijay Bajracharya and Rabindra Shakya won the opening day games at the Madan Memorial Open National Youth Chess Championship organised by central sports department of the Democratic National Youth Association, on Thursday. Other winners in the tournament played under the Swiss League format were Ganesh Pokharel, Bharat Gurung, Rabindra Shrestha, Prem Krishna Maharjan, Niraj Niraula, Hari Limbu, Sumir Lama, Raju Subedi, Mekraj Shakya, Ratna Byanjankar, Tekendra Raj Pathak, Sitaram Agrahari, Dirgharaj Joshi, Laxmi Nath Kandel, Manoj Chitrakar, Chunamani Bhattarai, Sujendra Prasad Shrestha, Shoba Adhikari, Triratna Shakya, Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, Ganesh Awal, Dipak Maharjan and Saroj Raj Shrestha. Earlier, Minister for Education and Sports Pradeep Nepal inaugurated the tournament. — HNS

ITF team heads for UK

KATHMANDU: A six-member Nepal International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) team left for England to take part in the International Taekwondo Championship to be held in Birmingham on June 30 and July 1. Laxmi Maya Gautam (patron and spiring), Omkar Budha Magar (spiring and power breaking) and Raj Kumar Pun (spiring) are the players, while ITF president Krishna Bahadur Balal, Prakash Basel Thapa (coach) and journalist Nikesh Chapain are the other members of the team. Balal and Chapain will also go to Italy to take part in the Basco World Championship in Cagliari. — HNS