KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 13

Nepal Sports Journalists Forum extended the Pulsar Sports Award sponsorship deal with Hansraj Hulaschand and Company Pvt Ltd here today.

NSJF President Durganath Subedi and Executive Director of Hansraj Hulaschand and Company Abhimanyu Golchha exchanged the memorandum of understanding for the 17th edition of the Award at a signing ceremony.

The award programme — which was postponed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic — will be held at the karate covered hall in Lalitur on January 12 next year.

As per the agreement that entered into its 10 year, Hansraj Hulaschand and Company will provide the NSJF with Rs 2.8 million in cash and kind for the award. In return, Pulsar motorcycle will be the title sponsor of the event.

NSJF President Subedi said the award programme had to be organised at any cost as Nepal had claimed historic achievements in the 13th South Asian Games held on home soil last year. “The entire world is in difficulty because of the COVID-19 and our condition is no different. We have decided to organise the programme semi-virtually following all health protocols as we could not ignore our athletes’ heroics in the SA Games,” said Subedi.

NSJF General Secretary Prajwal Oli informed that the Award featured 10 categories — Player of the year (male), PoY (female) and PoY (youth), coach of the year, People’s Choice, Para-athlete, Special, Lifetime Achievement, Team of the Year and International Asian Sports Journalist. Winners in four categories — male, female, coach and people’s choice — will receive Pulsar motorcycle each, while others will get Rs 50,000 apiece.

Oli said the nominees in male, female, youth, coach and people’s choice categories would be made public in due course, while the winners of the Para-athlete, Special, Lifetime Achievement, Team of the Year and International Asian Sports Journalist awards would be awarded directly in the programme.