LALITPUR: A jumbo 41-member Nepali team is leaving for Thailand for the first Asian Martial Arts Games, slated for August 1-9, on Friday.

Of the total Nepali contingent, 18 are players, 17 officials and rest the Nepal Olympic Committee and Youth and Sports Ministry representatives. Nepal are taking part in four — Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Wushu — of the nine games included in the Games.

Saroj Maharjan (60kg), Ramesh Magar (66kg), Kaluman Tamang (90kg) will compete in the men’s while Sushila Adhikari (48kg) will fight in the women’s 48kg section Judo tournament. Rajesh Karmacharya is the Judo coach.

Four male and two female players will represent Nepal in the Karate tournament. Milan Nepali (55kg), Ram Limbu (60kg), Mukundra Maharjan (67kg) and Shasank Shrestha (75kg) will compete in the men’s while Roji Nagarkoti (55kg) and Tara Gurung (60kg) will fight in the women’s section. Tulsi Kumar Maharjan is the coach and Kedar Babu Shivakoti the manager.

Likewise four players will participate in the taekwondo tournament. Ashish Maharjan (62-67kg) and Sakumar Basnet (54-58kg) will compete in the men’s while Apsara Karki (47-51kg) and Sabina Maharjan (51-55kg) in women’s section. Sriman Thapa is the coach and Sanjeev Regmi the manager.

In Wushu, Raj Kumar Rasaili (52kg) and Yuvaraj Gurung (57kg) will compete in men’s while newcomers Jharna Gurung (60kg) and Elina Chaudhary (48kg) will compete in women’s Sansau event. Chowk Bahadur Thapa Magar is the Wushu team coach.

Minister for Youth and Sports Ganesh Nepali bade farewell the team. Minister Nepali said he was hoping Nepal to fare well the Games. In all 955 players from 45 nations are taking part in the championships.