Bista set to undergo special training at Miami National Training Centre

Kathmandu, October 17:

Nepal Police honoured taekwondo ace Deepak Bista with the Yogendra Memorial Bravery Award (sahashi puraskar) 2063 on the occasion of Nepal Police Day here today.

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula handed over Rs 5,555 along with the felicitation letter to Bista for his achievement of completing the hat-trick of gold medals at the 10th South Asian Games held in Sri Lanka during August 18-28.

Bista, who is going to the US on Thursday for special training arranged by Nepal Olympic Committee, said that the award was encouragement for him for the forthcoming 15th Asian Games slated for December in Doha.

In the US, Bista will train at Miami National Training Centre along with the likes of US national player Stephen Lopez, the two-time Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion.

“This is a great opportunity for me. I feel lucky to get such a chance to prepare myself for the Asiad and I will try my best to utilise the experience in Doha Games,” said Bista, who won bronze medal at the 14th Asiad in Busan in 2002. “As this might be my last tournament, I will try my best to win medal this time as well,” said Bista, who is taking part in his third Asian Games.

Another taekwondo gold medallist at the 10th SAG Manita Shahi opted out the US training for family reasons and is going to Korea along with eight other players.

The NOC is also arranging special training courses for the other 10th SAG gold medallists. “We have been trying to send Karate gold medallists Sulochana Sijakhwa and Kushal Shrestha and lone Weight Lifting gold medallist Kamal Bahadur Adhikari to Iran, and we are working out to arrange the training for Wushu players Bina Khadka Lama and Raj Kumar Rasaili in China,” said Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan, general secretary of the NOC.

“We arranged the courses for the 10th SAG gold medallists in coordination with Olympic Council of Asia and International Olympic Committee,” said Pradhan.