Uttam takes lead

KATHMANDU: Uttam Raj Thapa became the sole leader with 7.5 points at the first Ram Bir Shrestha Memorial FIDE Rating National Chess Tournament on Friday. Uttam defeated Prachanda Man Malakar in the eighth round before beating Ganesh Man Duwal in the ninth. Ganesh Man, Sajan Pandey, Nepal champion Badri Lal Nepali and Rijendra Rajbhandari share the second place with seven points each with one round to go. Duwal upset Badri Lal in the eighth round while Badri came with a win against former Nepal champion Naveen Tandukar in the ninth, who earlier eased past FIDE Master Manish Hamal. Sajan Pandey also recorded double wins. Pandey beat Rabindra Shakya and Raju Subedi while Rijendra saw off Shyam Sundar Shrestha and Sajin Maharjan.

Transplant succeeds

KATHMANDU: The eighth South Asian Federation Games taekwondo silver medallist Manju Tuladhar underwent successful kidney transplantation in Chandigarh on Friday. Tuladhar will be kept in Intensive Care Unit for 10 days, informed her husband Chhitiz Arun Shrestha. “She will be released after two months of supervision,” said Shrestha. Nepal Sports Journalists Forum and Nepal National and International Players Association helped raise fund for her treatment. She was diagnosed with failed kidneys.

Rajkarnikar in trouble

KATHMANDU: A three-member Probe Committee headed by Lal Kumar Lama has suggested the National Sports Council to dissolve the All Nepal Kabaddi Association (ANKA) on Friday. In its report submitted to the NSC Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary, the committee — formed to find the truth behind the shameful incident during the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka — said ANKA President Sunil Rajkarnikar’s clarification of the brawl ahead of Nepal’s match against Bangladesh was found to be unsatisfactory. Rajkarnikar’s action infuriated the team coaches and manager igniting a heated discussion reaching to the point of manhandling in Dhaka.

Mangal wins Stage 4

KATHMANDU: Mangal Krishna Lama timed 3 hours 42 minutes 52 seconds to win the fourth stage of the fourth Yak Attack Mountain Bike Championship. National champion Ajaya Pandit fell four minutes behind the leader in the 40km Besi Sahar to Taal ride that only included an ascent of 1635metres. Chandra Bahadur Chhetri (3:52:18), Kaji Sherpa (3:57:04) and Stage 3 winner Australian veteran Phillip Hystek (4:02:02) ended up third, fourth and fifth respectively.