KATHMANDU: The first Nepali wrestling coach Vidhya Sagar Pokharel passed away due to heart attack at the age of 63 on Friday morning. According to National Institute of Sports (NIS) Deputy Director Brijendra Hamal, the 63-year-old Pokharel suffered chest pain while having lunch and passed away few minutes later.

Pokharel, who entered the sports sector as a football player, underwent wrestling coach training in India in 1988 and was appointed as a coach at the NSC. Pokharel retired from the NSC due to age restriction after serving the sports governing body as NIS Deputy Director and he worked as the General Secretary of the Nepal Wrestling Association for 26 years. He was also qualified international referee of wrestling. He is survived by two each wives, sons and daughters.


A version of this article appears in the print on June 5, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.