Pokhara, December 25

Western Region bagged the first gold medal of the seventh National Games when they won the men’s team event of Lawn Tennis Tournament here at the Pokhara Stadium courts today.

The hosts defeated Nepal APF Club 3-0 in the team event. Kumar Adhikari beat Sri Ram Magar 6-3, 6-1, while Nabin Magar registered a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 victory over Santosh Khatri. In the doubles match, Adhikari and Magar earned a walkover victory to confirm the gold. With the victory, Western Region became the first among the five regional teams to win gold medal in the seventh National Games.

In the women’s team event final, Nepal Police Club outplayed Tribhuvan Army Club 3-0. Mahika Rana defeated Abhilasha Bista 6-1, 6-1, while Mayanka Rana defeated Ira M Rawat 6-1, 7-5 and the Rana siblings bagged a double bagel against Bista and Rawat in the doubles match.

In men’s singles section, Mahesh Shrestha of Eastern Region and Chandra Bahadur Thapa of Mid-western Region advanced to the quarter-finals, while the Mid-western Region pair of Pradeep Shah and Himal Shah made it to the last eight in men’s doubles category.  Likewise, Bibhuti Karki and Ani Mathema of APF advanced to the women’s singles quarter-finals along with Saloni Tamang of Eastern Region.