Karate team departs for Japan to participate in the Asian Games
KATHMANDU:- The karate team is set to conduct further preparations for the 20th Asian Games in Japan itself. The team will undergo training from September 6 to 16 at the World Shito-ryu Karate Main Dojo in Tokyo. The team departed for Japan on Friday. Among the 22 sports in which Nepal is participating in the Asian Games, the karate team is the first to travel to Japan.
The karate team will arrive in Nagoya from Tokyo on September 17 to participate in the Asiad. The karate events will take place from September 20 to 23.
Rakesh Manandhar (Men’s Under-55kg), Min Bahadur Tamang (Men’s Under-60kg), and Tenzing Sherpa (Men’s Above-84kg) will compete. Representing Nepal in the women’s categories will be Arika Gurung (Above-68kg)—a historic silver medalist at the 19th Asian Games—Nirupa Dong Tamang (Under-68kg), and Sanumaya Thing (Individual Kata). Sanumaya, along with Alisa Raskoti and Megha Limbu, will also participate in the Team Kata event.
Kushal Shrestha and Mandekaji Shrestha are the coaches. Following the Asiad karate competition, this same team will participate in the 11th Shito-ryu Karate International Championship—organized by the World Shito-ryu Karate Federation—in Yokohama, Japan, from September 25 to 27. To date, Nepal has won one silver and three bronze medals across various editions of the Asian Games.
On Friday, the team was bid farewell at Tribhuvan International Airport by Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel, National Sports Council (NSC) Vice-Chairman Bishal Shrestha, NSC Member-Secretary Ramcharitra Mehta, Ministry of Education and Sports Chief Advisor Siddhi Byanjankar and Advisor Raju Singh, former NSC Member-Secretary and Nepal Karate Federation President Yuvraj Lama, NSC Executive Committee member Sikka Suwal Shrestha, and Nepal Karate Federation General Secretary Dawa Gurung, among others.
Addressing the event, Minister Pokhrel expressed high hopes for the athletes but urged them to compete without pressure, wishing them success in achieving excellent results.
Erika, a historic medal winner, described the Asian Games as a significant competition and stated that she would strive for outstanding results.
