Pulsar Sports Award: Chandra Gurung awarded Best Coach

Kathmandu, Feb 11: Chandra Gurung of athletics has bagged the Best Coach Award in the Pulsar Sports Award 2024.     

In the 20th edition of Award ceremony organized by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum here Sunday, Gurung clinched the award beating two other coaches Deepak Maharjan of boxing and Jagat Tamata of cricket.     

Coach Gurung is credited for helping Nepal secure two gold medals in 16th Asian Cross-Country Championship. Likewise, Nepal had clinched one gold medal and 2 bronze medals in a marathon held in Bangladesh under his coaching.     

Similarly, Rajendra Kumar Pradhan, first Olympian weightlifter of Nepal,, received 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in recognition of 55 years long of contribution to weightlifting sector.     

Dev Khanal of cricket has been awarded with the best player of the year. Nepal had participated in the ICC U-19 Championship in Khanal's leadership after a hiatus of eight years and secured a place in the tournament by becoming champion of the Asian regional qualifier.     

Sudarshan Ranjit, a sports journalist from Pokhara, received the Special Award for photo journalism in sports sectors for his four decade contribution.     

Likewise, Rajpura Pachai of medium and long distance running has got the Best Female Sportsperson award for this year. She had received two silver medals in the Asian Cross-Country Women 10 km marathon.     

Athletics' Deepak Adhikari received Best Male Sports Person award for this year while Table tennis player Sikka Subal Shrestha secured People's Choice Award. Para Athlete Honour was conferred on Para Olympian athlete Maiya Bishankhu. She won a gold medal in 2006.     

Raymond Chu from Hong Kong has been honoured with the Asian Sports Journalists Award. He is the President of the Hong Kong Sports Press Association and the chief mentor of a programme under the Association of International Sports Journalists (AIPS).     

Each winner in the best female, male, people's choice awardees, best coach and best youth sportsperson category received one Pulsar bike each while winners in other category received Rs 50,000 each. (RSS)