Kathmandu, January 19

Nepal Olympic Committee today honoured the 12th South Asian Games and 18th Asian Games medal winning associations during the opening ceremony of its ninth Annual General Assembly here at the NOC complex.

Nepal had won a single silver medal in the 18th Asiad in Indonesia with Paragliding finishing second. NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha and Honorary President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan handed over the letter of felicitation along with Rs 20,000 each to the four players of the team.

In the SA Games held in India in 2016, Nepal had won 60 medals — three gold, 23 silver and 34 bronze. A total of 17 national associations — football, judo, wushu, taekwondo, triathlon, swimming, weightlifting, archery, athletics, hockey, boxing, badminton, kabaddi, kho-kho, table tennis, wrestling and volleyball — received the appreciation letters for their achievements in the SA Games.

NOC President Shrestha said the programme was originally planned for December 2016 but they were not able to organise the event due to the intervention of parallel body headed by Rukma Shumsher Rana.

The NOC also honoured Nepal Sports Journalists Forum and PJ Club with NOC Excellence Awards. Shrestha and Pradhan handed over the awards and Rs 50,000 each to the two associations.

Meanwhile, the AGM approved the general secretary’s report — presented by joint general secretary Rajiv Shrestha in the absence of Lama Tendi Sherpa due to health issues — from 2015-18, while Treasurer Ratan Tondon presented the estimated budget of Rs 42 million for the current fiscal year.