Three Nepali athletes in Paris Paralympics

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 28: Three Nepali differently abled players are participating in the 2024 Paralympics, a global sporting festival for athletes with various disabilities. This marks the sixth appearance of Nepali athletes in the Paralympics, as Nepal started taking part in the event from the 2004 Paralympics held in Athens, Greece.

Para taekwondo athletes Palesha Goverdhan and Bharat Singh Mahata, along with para swimmer Bhim Bahadur Kumal, are representing Nepal in the Paralympics 2024. Goverdhan has previous Paralympic experience, while Mahata and Kumal are making their debut.

Mahata, a Taekwondo athlete, qualified through the Bipartite Commission Place and competes in the men's K44 below 58 kg category. He is currently ranked 57 in the World Taekwondo Paralympic and will be competing on the inaugural day of the Paralympics.

Goverdhan, ranked 12 in the World Taekwondo Paralympic Ranking, competes in the below 57kg category of the K44 on August 30. She secured her place in the Paralympics after winning gold in the 2024 Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament in China. This is her second appearance in the Paralympics, with her debut being at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. She won two matches before missing out on the bronze medal in Tokyo.

The Nepal Taekwondo Association has organized a one-month training program for both Goverdhan and Mahata at the Great Britain Taekwondo Association Training Centre in Manchester as part of the Paralympic Preparation Camp.

Para swimmer Bhim Bahadur Kumal is competing in the 50m freestyle of the S9 category on September 2. He also secured his place through the Bipartite Commission Place and has been regularly training independently in a private pool in Kathmandu.