Cricket

DHAKA: Nepal lost the second successive Under-21 Twenty20 cricket match against Sri Lanka by 64 runs in at the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi on Monday. Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka scored 166-8. In reply, Nepal could only manage 102-3. They also lost their first match by eight wickets against Bangladesh. Rupesh Sriwastav was the pick of the Nepali bowlers with four wickets while Anil Mandal, Aakash Gupta and Gyanendra Malla claimed one apiece. Mandal top scored with 28 runs while Pradeep Airee made 24 runs for Nepal. Subhash Khakurel also contributed 22 runs but playing against the mighty cricketing nation, their strike rate was too slow.

Kabaddi

DHAKA: Nepal lost their second consecutive women's kabaddi match against gold medal favourites India in the 11th South Asian Games here on Monday. The Nepali women, who were also beaten by hosts Bangladesh in their first match on Sunday, lost the match 42-12. Nepal will play their last league match against Sri Lanka. All the participating women's teams are assured of medal as only four teams — Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh — are taking parrt in the event. The only battle in the tournament is for the gold and silver as there will be no third-place playoff.

Weightlifting

DHAKA: Gyan Bahadur Shrestha followed Kamal Bahadur Adhikari's suit in the 94kg category as the Nepali lifter suffered wash-out elimination here at the 11th South Asian Games on Monday. Gyan Bahadur could not even go for the Clean & Jerk after failing his all three Snatch attempt. The lifter was unable to lift 110kg in all three attempts. Apart from Nepal, India Sri Lanka and Pakistan were competing in the category.

Gyan Bahadur said that he failed because he was still undergoing psychological tension following the elevator crash at the Imperial Hotel. The lifter was one of the nine Nepali players who met a tragic accident on Friday. Coach Tilak Raut said that the lifter was still carrying a back problem suffered in the accident.

"The accident deeply affected

his performance," added the coach. Raut informed that Gyan Bahadur had regularly been lifting 115kg during the training back home. Nepal's challenge will end after Gopal Bahadur Shrestha and Punti Lal's matches on Tuesday.