Mahara and Magar to carry Nepali flag in 19th Asian Games

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 23:By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 22

Nepal’s Bir Bahadur Mahara and Nima Gharti Magar, who won gold medals in the South Asian Games (SAG), will carry the flag of their country during the march pass at the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. 

The event will officially begin on Saturday and last for two hours. The International Olympic Committee made it mandatory for male and female athletes to carry the flag during the march pass from the 

Tokyo Olympics. 

Nepal’s Executive Secretary of the Olympic Committee, Sujanlal Shrestha, confirmed that Mahara and Magar will have this historic opportunity. A total of 253 players from Nepal will compete in 29 games in this year’s Asiad.

Vietnam defeat Nepal 

Nepal lost the matches in the preliminary round of women’s football and table tennis today. 

Vietnam defeated Nepal 2-0 in women’s football Group F match.

Nepal held Vietnam to a goalless draw in the first half but failed to stop them in the second. Forward Pham Hy Yen scored in the 53rd minute after Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy’s shot was parried away by Nepali goalie Anjila Tumbapo Subba. Ten minutes later, Nguyen doubled the lead with a diving header from the penalty box in the 64th minute. Nepal will play against Japan in its second match and Bangladesh in the third match. The top teams from each group and the three best runners-up will advance into the knockout round in women’s football. 

Poor show in TT

In the men’s and women’s team preliminary rounds of Table Tennis at Gongshu Canal Sports Park Gymnasium Table, Nepal suffered a blow in its first match. 

In the men’s team preliminary, Nepal lost to Japan by 3-0. Rubin Maharjan won the first set by 11-6 but went down to Harimoto Tomokazu 3-1, with the remaining three sets lost by 11-2, 11-3 and 11-5. Sanyog Kapali lost to Yoshimura Maharu by 11-7, 11-3 and 11-7. Bilash Shrestha lost in straight sets to Japan’s Togami Shunsuke with a score 

of 6-11, 3-11 and 3-11. 

In the women’s Team Preliminary Group F, Nepal suffered a 3-0 loss to Singapore. Nepal’s number one, Nabita Shrestha, could not pose any threat to her Singaporean rival Jingyi Zhou and easily went down by 11-4, 11-3 and 11-4. Sikka Suwal Shrestha also faced a similar fate with a 1-11, 2-11, 4-11 loss to Jian Zeng. Evana Thapa Magar surrendered her match to Xin Ru Wong 

by 11-3, 11-7, and 11-4.

The event will officially begin on Saturday and last for two hours. The International Olympic Committee made it mandatory for male and female athletes to carry the flag during the march pass from the 

Tokyo Olympics. 

Nepal’s Executive Secretary of the Olympic Committee, Sujanlal Shrestha, confirmed that Mahara and Magar will have this historic opportunity. A total of 253 players from Nepal will compete in 29 games in this year’s Asiad.

Vietnam defeat Nepal 

Nepal lost the matches in the preliminary round of women’s football and table tennis today. 

Vietnam defeated Nepal 2-0 in women’s football Group F match.

Nepal held Vietnam to a goalless draw in the first half but failed to stop them in the second. Forward Pham Hy Yen scored in the 53rd minute after Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy’s shot was parried away by Nepali goalie Anjila Tumbapo Subba. Ten minutes later, Nguyen doubled the lead with a diving header from the penalty box in the 64th minute. Nepal will play against Japan in its second match and Bangladesh in the third match. The top teams from each group and the three best runners-up will advance into the knockout round in women’s football. 

Poor show in TT

In the men’s and women’s team preliminary rounds of Table Tennis at Gongshu Canal Sports Park Gymnasium Table, Nepal suffered a blow in its first match. 

In the men’s team preliminary, Nepal lost to Japan by 3-0. Rubin Maharjan won the first set by 11-6 but went down to Harimoto Tomokazu 3-1, with the remaining three sets lost by 11-2, 11-3 and 11-5. Sanyog Kapali lost to Yoshimura Maharu by 11-7, 11-3 and 11-7. Bilash Shrestha lost in straight sets to Japan’s Togami Shunsuke with a score 

of 6-11, 3-11 and 3-11. 

In the women’s Team Preliminary Group F, Nepal suffered a 3-0 loss to Singapore. Nepal’s number one, Nabita Shrestha, could not pose any threat to her Singaporean rival Jingyi Zhou and easily went down by 11-4, 11-3 and 11-4. Sikka Suwal Shrestha also faced a similar fate with a 1-11, 2-11, 4-11 loss to Jian Zeng. Evana Thapa Magar surrendered her match to Xin Ru Wong 

by 11-3, 11-7, and 11-4.