Nepali Paralympians Chase For Victory

Differently abled Nepali athletes are dreaming of bringing home medals from the 2024 Paralympics, set to commence next week in the capital city of France, Paris, on August 28. Three Nepali players are participating in this global sporting festival for athletes with a range of disabilities, also known as para-athletes.

The Paralympics is organised every four years, in parallel with the Olympic Games. Like the Olympics, the Paralympics have two editions: summer and winter. The summer edition of Paralympics debuted in Rome, Italy, in 1960, while the winter edition began in 1976.

Nepal joined the summer edition of the Paralympics after becoming a member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2004. That same year, Nepal made its historic debut at the Athens Paralympic Games. Since then, Nepal is a regular participant in the summer Paralympics. The 2024 edition will mark the country’s sixth appearance.

Representing Nepal in the Paris Paralympics are Palesha Goverdhan and Bharat Singh Mahata, both para taekwondo athletes, and Bhim Bahadur Kumal, a para swimmer. While it’s the second Paralympic experience for Taekwondoin Goverdhan, Mahata and Kumal are competing in their first Paralympics.

Determined to secure medals, all three athletes are undergoing rigorous training. The Nepal Taekwondo Association has managed a one-month training program for para players Goverdhan and Mahata at the Great Britain Taekwondo Association Training Centre in Manchester as part of the Paralympic Preparation Camp. Meanwhile, para swimmer Kumal is training independently at the West Venue Swimming Pool in Kathmandu.

The nation’s hopes rest on these para-athletes, especially after seven able-bodied Nepali athletes returned empty-handed from the 2024 Summer Olympics, which concluded on August 11 in Paris. 

The expectation of medals in the Paralympics has grown, largely due to Taekwondoin Palesha. She set a new benchmark for Nepali athletes by coming close to winning a bronze medal during the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won two matches. 

Previous Paralympians Nirmala Gyawali (2004), Jit Bahadur Khadka (2008), Maiya Bisunkhe (2012), Bikram Bahadur Rana (2012), and Laxmi Kunwar (2016) faced disappointment when they were eliminated in the first round. 

Notably, no Nepali athlete has ever won two matches in both the Olympics and Paralympics. Until then, Olympian Bishnu Bahadur Singh has remained the sole athlete to secure a victory, winning his first-round boxing match against Paraguayan boxer Sixto Vera in men’s flyweight during the 1988 Summer Games. 

Looking at the poor condition of Nepali sports, the medal hope may look bleak. However, Goverdhan’s remarkable performance has instilled life into the dampened dreams of Nepali sports lovers. Pressure mounted on her after she became the first Nepali para-athlete to qualify for the Paralympics. 

On her path to the second Paralympics, an architecture student achieved a significant milestone by securing the gold medal in the 2024 Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament held in China. She defeated Iran’s Leila Mirzaee by 5-4 in the women's K-44 57 kg final to secure her ticket to Paris.

Born without a palm on her right hand, Goverdhan made her debut at the Tokyo Paralympics through a wild card entry. Nevertheless, she scripted her name in history during the coronavirus-affected Tokyo Para Games by winning two crucial matches. She was Nepal’s sole para-athlete at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. 

In Tokyo, she competed in the women’s K44 category (below 58 kg). Although she lost her pre-quarterfinal match against Great Britain’s Beth Munro (losing 21-8), Goverdhan demonstrated resilience. She rallied back, winning two repechage matches—one against the United States’ Brianna Salinaro (10-0) and another against Serbia’s Marija Micev (23-15)—earning her place in the bronze medal battle against China’s Yujie Li. Despite her best efforts, she narrowly missed the bronze, falling short against Li (9–12). Undeterred by this setback, Goverdhan continued to thrive in her sport. She secured a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, marking Nepal’s first-ever medal in the Asian Para Games. She had also clinched a gold medal at the 2021 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain and a bronze at the 2018 Asian Para-Taekwondo Championship held in Vietnam. 

Goverdhan is in no mood to squander the second opportunity. She is pursuing her architecture de-gree in China and has taken six months of long leave for the training.  This speaks volumes about the commitment and passion Taekwondoin Goverdhan has invested to accomplish her Paralympic medal dream.

As she trains in Manchester, the 21-year-old Goverdhan exudes confidence, ready to give her best performance in Paris. “Training with Great Britain’s Paris-bound para-athletes and other top players has given good exposure. I am looking forward to giving my best and making the nation proud with my performance in Paris,” she said in the video message sent from the training centre of the Great Brit-ain Taekwondo Association.

Para Taekwondo Coach Kabiraj Negi Lama also believes his pupil, Goverdhan, could fare better this time. Paralympian Goverdhan will compete below 57 kg in the K-44 category on August 30. “Training with the top players of Great Britain’s Taekwondo team has boosted her confidence. She is very positive and determined to perform better than Tokyo,” Coach Lama said from Manchester.

Lama added that the medal expectation certainly puts the player under pressure. “But there is nothing to worry about. We are looking forward to performing on match day. If everything favours us, we could certainly pocket the medal. With our best performance, we are hopeful to bring the medal home.”

Joining Palesha Goverdhan in Manchester is Bharat Singh Mahata, another remarkable para-athlete born without a palm. Mahata is gearing up for the men’s under-58 kg K-44 category at the Paris Paralympics, scheduled for August 29.

Before securing a Wild Card quota for the global event, Mahata has previously competed in the Asian selection rounds held in Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. Despite his efforts, international medals have eluded him thus far.

Mahata wants to end his medal drought in Paris. “As I am closer to fulfilling my dream of playing Paralympics, I want to make it memorable by giving my best shot in Paris.”

Para swimmer Bhim Bahadur Kumal also secured the slots in Paris through bipartite invitations. A retired Nepal Army soldier, who lost one of his legs in the Maoist-led insurgency, will compete in the men's 50-meter freestyle S10 category on August 29.

Despite participating in the 2018 Indonesia Asian Para Games, the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, and other international events, the national record holder Kumal has yet to claim a medal. However, his unwavering determination fuels his quest for success. Unlike Para Taekwondo players, Kumal has been training at a Kathmandu-based private swimming pool with the help of Coach Bijen Shrestha for more than three months. Despite insufficient resources, he is looking to make the most of what he has.

Let us hope these three para-athletes return home decorated with medals or at least continuity to raise the bar Goverdhan has set during the Tokyo Paralympics.

(Joshi is Associate Editor at TRN.)