KATHMANDU: Suresh Kumar Gurung and Renuka Khatri have a common goal at the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka later this month — win medal.

At the age of 53, the veteran squash player Gurung aims put an end to his career after the Games, while table tennis sensation Khatri, who is just 14, wants to give her career a scintillating start by making her mark in Dhaka. Gurung and Khatri are set to represent Nepal at the January 29-February 9 Games as the eldest and youngest players. Though generations have passed between these two players, their aim of winning medal for the country bring them together.

When the 500 plus delegation of Nepal steps up in the marchpast in Dhaka, Khatri would be the one lost in the crowd. But the 14-year old girl from Kathmandu aims high when she take the field in her maiden regional meet. Khatri, like other ping pong players in the Nepali squad, aims to win at least a bronze medal. “Since we have regional giants like India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in our group, I will be concentrating on my game and my focus would be to win a bronze,” said Khatri, who started playing TT since she was nine.

The Nepali TT coach Naveen Suwal is also impressed by the way she has been approaching the sport. “Renuka loves the sport and she is very sincere and dedicated. The best thing about her is she is fearless and never comes under pressure. If the tie-sheet favours her, she has a potential to bag a bronze,” said the coach.

Khatri has previously participated in three international tournaments and the biggest achievement for her came at the Junior SAFF Table Tennis Championship held in Jaypur, India, last year when she won a bronze medal. However, coach Suwal says she will be competing in different circumstances where she will get tough challenge from the senior players at the regional meet.

At the other hand, the oldest player of the Nepali contingent, Gurung will be participating in his last SA Games. Playing against the likes of the former world champions Pakistan and another squash giant India, Gurung knows he can’t expect more than a bronze medal at the event. Gurung, who will play in the team event in Dhaka, is aiming to end his international career on a winning note.

“We know how difficult it is to play against Pakistan and India. Our main target is to overcome Bangladesh and try our luck for a bronze,” said the veteran. Gurung will team up with Hira Bahadur Thapa, Top Kumar Tilija and Sudeep Bahadur Gurung at the regional meet.

Gurung said it would be a great moment for him if the team succeeds in bringing home another medal. He was also the member of the Nepali team that won bronze medal at the ninth edition of the Games (then-SAF Games) in Pakistan in 2004. Gurung was not a part of the Nepali team that returned empty handed from the 10th SAG in Sri Lanka in 2006.