LALITPUR, MARCH 1
Former national football team captain Biraj Maharjan and skipper of national women's volleyball team Aruna Shahi won the Player of the Year Awards at the 16th NNIPA Sports Award here at the Bajrabarahi Temple premises today.
Maharjan, who led the national and age-group teams to three titles before retiring from the national team last year, was named the best player from football, while Shahi - captain of the team that won two international gold medals, one silver and a bronze - was declared the best player from volleyball. They were selected for the PoY awards from among the 27 best players - one each from 27 national associations affiliated to Nepal Olympic Committee. Maharjan and Shahi received Rs 100,000 each sponsored by Global IME Bank.
Tribhuvan Army Club athletics coach Pushpa Raj Ojha was felicitated with the Gajaraj Ideal Sports Personality Award established in memory of former athlete Gajaraj Joshi.
Ojha, who took part in the first four editions of the South Asian Games and also participated in the 1983 Los Angeles Olympic Games, served as chief athletics coach at the National Sports Council. Ojha, who was the athletics coach in Beijing Olympic Games and Rio Olympics, received Rs 35,000 sponsored by Gajaraj Memorial Foundation.
Junior world No 1 badminton player Prince Dahal and wushuka Nima Gharti Magar were named the emerging players, while taekwondo player Parbati Gurung and Triathlon athlete Himal Tamatta won the Talented Players awards. They received Rs 50,000 each. Senior sports journalist Himesh Ratna Bajracharya was felicitated with the NNIPA Journalist Award.
Also, taekwondo player Palesha Goverdhan was honoured with the Para-athlete Award. Goverdhan, who created history in the Tokyo Paralympics by winning two bouts, won gold medal in the Asian Youth Para Games. He received trophy and Rs 10,000.
The organisers, Nepal National and International Players Association, also honoured the national women's volleyball team that defended the title of the AVC Central Zone Women's Volleyball Challenge in Dhaka last year.
The best player award winners included Gyanu Awale (Archery), Kiran Singh Bogati (Athletics), Prince Dahal (Badminton), Sushma Tamang (Boxing), Sadina Shrestha (Basketball), Rajesh Magar (Cycling), Ankita Karki (Fencing), Kashmira Shah (Golf), Bishal Basnet (Handball), Anjana Chand (Hockey), Roshan Budhathoki (Gymnastics), Biplav Shrestha (Karate), Suman Tamang (Rafting and Canoeing), Sumitra Shrestha (Judo), and Safalram Shrestha (Ski).
Likewise, Anubhav Subba (Swimming), Krishnaa Thapa (Shooting), Nageshwor Tharu (Kabaddi), Santoo Shrestha (Table Tennis), Parbati Gurung (Taekwondo), Himal Tamatta (Triathlon), Abhilasha Bista (Tennis), Kamala Shrestha (Weightlifting), Nima Gharti Magar (Wushu) and Suresh Chunara (Wrestling) were the other athletes who won the best player's award. The 27 best players - who were recommended by their respective national associations - received Rs 10,000 each along with trophies.
The award ceremony, which was hosted by Godavari Municipality, featured various programmes including taekwondo demonstration, performances from singers Sworup Raj Acharya and Nisha Deshar, stand-up comedy from Raja Rajendra, and welcome dance from karateka Manisha Chaudhary. Minister for Youth and Sports Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj, President of Nepal Olympic Committee Jeevan Ram Shrestha, NNIPA President Deepak Shrestha, Honorary President Deepak Bista, Vice-president of National Sports Council Shiva Koirala and Acting NSC Member Secretary Kul Bahadur Thapa among others handed over the awards to the athletes.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 2, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
