Judoka Manita exits early from Paris Olympics 2024

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 30: Judoka Manita Shrestha Pradhan became the latest Nepali Olympian to be eliminated in the first round. 

Manita was competing in the women’s under 57kg in judo event against Serbia’s Marica Perisic in elimination Round of 32 on Monday. 

She could only last1 minutes and 02 seconds on the Mat 1 of Champ-de-Mars Arena before going down to Serbian judoka in Ippon.  Experienced Marica ousted Manita by 10-0 in a one-sided affair.

This is the second Olympics for Marika after Tokyo. Marika is the 2023 European Judo silver medalist and has experience of four IJF World Judo Championships and various 13 World Tour. 

Manita has won silver medal for Nepal in 12th and 13th South Asian Games. Grown up at Prisoners Assistance Mission (PAM) began her judo career at the age of 10. 

She had represented Nepal in 18th and 19th Asian Games and three World Judo Championship. Before taking going to the Paris, Manitha has played four international events. She was also training under Olympic scholarship.  

Nepal’s flag bearer Manita stepped in the shoes of Shooter Ashmita Nepali, Swimmer Duana Lama and Table Tennis player Santoo Shrestha to make an early exit from the Paris Olympics 2024.

Badminton player Prince Dahal, who lost his opening match, has two more matches to play in his group. Swimmer Alexander Shah will be contesting in men’s 100m freestyle on Tuesday. 

Long distance runner Santoshi Shrestha will take part in the women’s Marathon which will be closing the curtain of the global sporting festival in Paris on August 11. Manita, who qualified to Summer Games 2024 from continental quota, became the sixth Nepali judoka to compete in the Olympics. 

Before her, Ganga Bahadur Dangol, Rishiram Pradhan (1988), Debu Thapa (2008), Phupu Lhamu Khatri (2016) and Soniya Bhatta (2020) took part in the Olympics. Debu is a coach of Manita in Pairs Summer Games. 

Nepal’s best performance in judo so far have come from Phupu, who endured four minutes in match before being eliminated from first round. 

Till now, boxer Bishnu Bahadur Singh (1988) is the only player to win the first round match in Nepal’s Olympic history.