Singh begins campaign with a bang
Nepalgunj, April 21
Gaurika Singh began the 21st National Swimming Tournament under the eighth National Games here at the Cygnett Hotel pool today.
The competition was shifted to the hotel after the organisers failed to meet the deadline to complete the new facility at the Nepalgunj Stadium pool. Singh, who represents Tribhuvan Army Club in the national tournaments, set new national record on her way to winning two gold medals on the opening day at the 25-metre pool.
Singh set new national record in women’s 50m backstroke heats breaking her own mark.
Singh completed the distance in 31.22 seconds in the morning session to better her own mark of 31.31 set during the 22nd National Open Championship. She returned to win gold medal in the finals with yet another record time finishing the race in 30.85 seconds. Anushka Pokharel of Nepal Police Club finished second in 37.78 seconds, while Yuska Maharjan of Nepal APF Club was third in 39.63 seconds.
Gaurika won the women’s 800m freestyle event with the timing of nine minutes and 39.22 seconds, finishing ahead of fellow TAC swimmer Upaasti Maharjan (11:09.82) and Sameera Thapa (11:16) of Nepal Police Club.
Tenzing NG Gurung and Shuvam Shrestha of APF also broke national records on the first day.
Gurung won the men’s 50m backstroke event with the record timing of 32.81 seconds, while Jayant Prakash Gurung (34.13) of Province-3 and Tarun Bhandari (34.59) of NPC were second and third respectively. Miraj Prajapati held the national record of 33.57 seconds set during the 14th FINA World Championship in Doha in 2014.
Shuvam Shrestha broke the national record in 100m breaststroke event on his way to winning gold in one minute and 08.15 seconds. NPC swimmers Sayed Hamza (1:08.87) and Dipankar Awale (1:13.37) won silver and bronze respectively.
In other events, Nathan Dorje Sherpa of NRNA won the men’s 800m freestyle gold in 9:17, while APF swimmers Naris Hussain (9:40.93) and Urgen Maharjan (10:19.91). Duana Lama of TAC claimed the women’s 100m breaststroke gold with the timing of one minute and 19.93 seconds, while APF swimmer Tisa Shakya came second in 1:21.06 and TAC’s Upaasti Maharjan was third in 1:21.32.
Duana Lama bagged her second gold medal of the day when she won the women’s 200m butterfly event in 2:40.09, finishing ahead of APF swimmers Shreebi Maharjan (3:13.13) and Diya Sthapit (3:24.69). Nathan Dorje Sherpa of NRNA also won his second gold medal. He won the men’s 200m butterfly with the timing of 2:18.10, ahead of TAC swimmer Anubhav Subba (2:18.97) and Sayed Hamza Shah (2:29.12) of NPC.
