Guwahati, February 16

Nepal ended the 12th South Asian Games on a low with just three gold medals in the worst performance since the 1993 SAF Games.

Nepal had won just one gold medal in football tournament in the sixth SAF Games held in Bangladesh since the regional extravaganza began in 1984 from Kathmandu. India continued its dominance with 308 medals including 188 golds, while Sri Lanka was a distant second with 25 golds and Pakistan was third with 12.

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Lifter Devi Kumari Chaudhary was the first Nepali player to win medal in the 12th South Asian Games when she bagged a bronze on the second day, while wushu player Nima Gharti Magar gave Nepal the first gold medal in Taolu. Judoka Phupu Lhamu Khatri added another individual category gold medal, while men’s football team defeated India to claim Nepal’s third and final gold medal.

Nepal’s best run in the Games came in 1999 when the hosts claimed 31 gold medals to finish second in the medal tally. After the eighth SAF Games in Kathmandu, Nepal has never fell beyond fifth position in the next three editions with seven gold medals being the lowest in the 2006 SA Games in Colombo.

There are so many first times for Nepal in this edition of the Games with sixth-place finish in overall medal tally being the most pathetic. Nepal claimed a total of 60 medals that included three gold, 23 silver and 34 bronze. Afghanistan, who joined the regional games in 2004, won seven gold medals to finish fourth, while Bangladesh came fifth with four. The Maldives and Bhutan failed to win gold medal. Although Nepal fell behind in gold medal tally, it claimed a record 23 silver medals, breaking the previous best mark on 15 won in the 10th SA Games in Colombo in 2006.

Nepal participated in all 23 events but basketball players were deprived of the opportunity to compete because of India’s internal problem in the national association. Basketball’s ruling body FIBA-Asia instructed its member associations not to participate in the tournament after Indian Olympic Committee formed a parallel body against the FIBA-affiliated committee. Among the 22 sports disciplines competed by Nepal, 18 bagged medals with four returning empty handed. Triathlon, Kho-Kho, women’s weightlifting and women’s hockey bagged their maiden medals, while archery and swimming bagged first individual section medals. Shooting, cycling, handball and tennis failed to win any medal.

Taekwondo, wushu and marathon were the most disappointing disciplines in the Games. Taekwondo, which has won 24 gold medals in the last four editions, failed to win one in the 12th SA Games, while long distance runners returned empty-handed for the first time in the history of the games. Only one of the 11 wushukas, who competed in finals, was able to win gold.

The medallists

Gold (Three)

Nima Gharti Magar (Wushu)

Phupu Lhamu Khatri (Judo)

Men’s football team

Silver (23)

Bijay Sinjali (Wushu)

Bishow Budha Magar (Wushu)

Sushmita Tamang (Wushu)

Yubaraj Thapa (Wushu)

Sabita Rai (Wushu)

Junu Rai (Wushu)

Bindu Pun Magar (Wushu)

Jharna Gurung (Wushu)

Rajesh Chaudhary (Wushu)

Hari Prasad Gole (Wushu)

Bikash Thapa (Weightlifting)

Gaurika Singh (Swimming)

Rejina Karki (Taekwondo)

Yan Kumari Chaulagain (Taekwondo)

Gyani Cunara (Taekwondo)

Ayasha Shakya (Taekwondo)

Nima Gurung (Taekwondo)

Sachham Karki (Taekwondo)

Bir Bahadur Mahara (Taekwondo)

Lila Adhikari (Judo)

Manita Shrestha Pradhan (Judo)

Triantlon Mixed Rely Team

Football Women’s Team

Bronze (34)

Gaurika Singh (Swimming) – 3

Devi Kumari Chaudhary (Weightlifting)

Tara Devi Pun (Weightlifting)

Juni Maya Chhantyal (Weightlifting)

Hari Kumar Rimal (Athletics)

Saroj Pun (Wushu)

Saroj Yadav (Wrestling)

Ram Babu Yadav (Wrestling)

Nangshal Devi Tamang (Badminton)

Prem Prasad Pun (Archery)

Roja KC (Triathlon)

Deepak Shrestha (Boxing)

Minu Gurung (Boxing)

Saraswoti Rana Magar (Boxing)

Ramesh Magar (Judo)

Sarita Chaudhary (Judo)

Indra Kumar Shrestha (judo)

Nischal Shrestha (Taekwondo)

Sunil Poudel (Taekwondo)

Prem Bahadur Budhathoki

(Taekwondo)

Ganga Chaudhary (Judo)

Shiva Bahadur Baram (Judo)

Poonam Shrestha (Judo)

Women’s Team (Badminton)

Women’s Team (Hockey)

Nabita Shrestha and Elina Maharjan (Women’s Doubles Badminton)

Men’s Team (Table Tennis)

Women’s Team (Squash)

Women’s Team (Volleyball)

Women’s Team (Kho-Kho)

Men’s Team (Kho-Kho)