SA Judo C'ship from Saturday
Kathmandu, April 17
Nepal Judo Association is hosting the eighth South Asian Judo Championship at the Nepal Army Sports Complex in Lalitpur from April 21-24.
A total of 102 players - 55 in men's section and 47 in women's category - from six South Asian nations will take part in the tournament that offers a 64 medals - seven each gold and silver and 14 bronze each in two categories and eight medals in team events, informed NJA General Secretary Dharma Kumar Shrestha at a press meet today.
Judokas will fight in below-60kg, below-66kg, below-73kg, below-81kg, below-90kg, below-100kg and above-100kg categories in men's category, while women's section features below-48kg, below-52kg, below-57kg, below-63kg, below-70kg, below-78kg and above-78kg weight categories. In team event, Nepal will field two teams, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have one each. The individual events will be held on April 21-22 and the team event will be played on the final day.
The NJA has selected 18 each players and President Deepak Harsha Bajracharya said they would make the country proud. “We have prepared well for the tournament as the national team was under regular training for a long time. We are hoping to win medal in Asian Games this year and we are also eying a spot in 2020 Olympic Games through qualification,” said Bajraharya. “In this context we are hoping for maximum number of medals from the players in the South Asian Championship.”
Nepal will be hosting the event for the third time in 10 years. Nepal had hosted the fifth edition of the South Asian Judo Championship in 2008 and the seventh edition in 2014 in Kathmandu. “We have completed all the preparation works and the teams will arrive from tomorrow,” said Bajracharya.
The estimated budget of the championship is five million rupees and Bajracharya said the NJA had already managed the amount. The National Sports Council has allocated two million rupees for the championship, while the NJA has received one million rupees each from International Judo Federation and Judo Union of Asia. “We will raise around Rs 1.2 million from entry fee from the players, while we have sponsors worth Rs 500,000,” he added.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to inaugurate the championship. Chairman of JUA Obaid Al Anzi of Kuwait, General Secretary Mukesh Kumar from India, South Asian Judo Federation's Tournament Director Kamrun Nahar Hiru of Bangladesh, Referee Director Manohar Bangara of India will attend the opening ceremony along with presidents and general secretaries of the South Asian nations' judo associations.
