Kathmandu, January 13

Ex-boxer Group of Macau and Nepal Boxing Association today felicitated the 13th South Asian Games medal winning boxers here today.

Nepal had won three gold medals along with six each silver and bronze medals in the SA Games held in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur from December 1-10 last year.

Vice-president of National Sports Council and Nepal’s chef-de-mission in the SAG, Pitamber Timsina and NBA President Ram Awale handed over Rs 20,000 each to gold medallists Minu Gurung, Bhupendra Thapa and Sanil Shahi.

Likewise, silver medal winners Lalita Maharjan, Mala Rai, Sangita Sunar, Poonam Rawal, Ganesh Pradhan and Aashish Dawadi were rewarded with Rs 15,000 each, while bronze medallists Sushil Thapa, Tej Bahadur Deuba, Pooran Rai, Bikash Lama, Arjun Sigu and Chandra Kala Thapa got Rs 10,000 apiece.

Former boxer Man Bahadur Shrestha had initiated the fund raising drive in Macau and Subash Thapa Magar, Nim Bahadur Reule, Tika Ram Bhandari, Prabhu Das Thapa Magar, Tej Bahadur Chand, Uddhav Kunwar, Shyam Giri, Chitra Bahadur Gurung, Rajan Dangol, Padam Panta, Ghana Shyam Oli, Bikash Pariyar, Mahesh Rijal, Man Bahadur Bhandari, Ajit Gurung and Bishnu Shrestha made their contribution. Dhruba Lal Shrestha and Bijay Dangol, who have been residing in the United States, also contributed in the fund.

The NBA also handed over Rs 10,000 to Deepak Shrestha, who failed to win medal in the SA Games, while six coaches — Prakash Thapa Magar, Prabin Tuladhar, Dambar Dutta Bhatta, Kishor Limbu, Suresh Malla and Uzbekistan’s Alisher Rakhimov — received Rs 5,000 each.

Likewise, the NBA handed over appreciation letters to referees Pushkar Raj Panta, Ram Chandra Thapa Magar, Dhana Kumar Mainali and Tara Ram Shrestha and team managers Prem Pouju and Pramila Rai. The NBA also felicitated former boxers Suresh Ale Magar and Mathura Das Newa along with Rajendra Kapali of karate and NSC’s Ratna Kaji Mali for their support during the SA Games.