Karate star Arika Gurung feted

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Oct. 29: The Nepal Shitoryu Karate Association has honoured medal-winning athlete Arika Gurung with a cash prize of Rs. 100,000 following her recent triumph at the WKF Karate Series A held in Malaysia.

At a ceremony held on Tuesday, the association also recognised her coach, Kushal Shrestha, awarding him Rs. 50,000 along with a certificate of appreciation.

The honours were presented by Nepal Karate Federation President Yuvraj Lama, Vice Presidents Dev Lama and Majhendra Singh, and General Secretary Dawa Lama.

Arika secured the gold medal in the over-68 kg weight category at the Series A event—marking Nepal’s first-ever medal in the tournament.

On the same occasion, the association also felicitated Sanumaya Thing and coach Mandekaji Shrestha with traditional khadas for their successful selection for the upcoming World Karate Championships in Egypt, scheduled from 27 to 30 November.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s karate star Arika will also be joining Thing at the World Championships. She earned her place in the global event through a Universality quota.

Arika narrowly missed direct qualification during the World Championship Qualifiers held recently in Paris. She won all three matches in her pool and advanced to the knockout stage, but was defeated in the decisive round, missing out on direct entry.

According to the Nepal Karate Federation (NKF), the World Karate Federation (WKF) formally notified the NKF of Arika's selection in the Female Kumite +68 kg category via the Universality Places. The NKF must now confirm her participation by submitting the required documentation.

Arika previously made history by winning a bronze medal at the Karate 1 Premier League in Morocco—her debut appearance in the prestigious tournament.

Sanumaya qualified directly for the World Championships based on her global ranking, bypassing the preliminary rounds. She will compete in the women’s individual kata category.