Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa handed over the award along with a letter of appreciation to Manandhar during a program organized in Kathmandu on Sunday.
DPM Thapa, while honoring the sports personality, said that Manandhar's achievements in international competitions have been inspiration for young talents in the countr“The contributions of Manandhar for the nation through sports are noteworthy and his contributions have been a matter of inspiration for young athletes,” said Thapa.
Award winner Manandhar, 64, said that the award given in the name of the great king Prithvi Narayan Shah gives the message of unity.
Manandhar is best known for his achievement during the South Asian Games in which he claimed three consecutive gold medals - a record which still stands till date. He won gold in the inaugural edition of 1984 held in Kathmandu, the second edition held in Dhaka in 1985 and the third edition held in Kolkata in 1987. He also represented Nepal at the summer Olympics for four occasions.
Meanwhile, DPM Thapa said that he will talk with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for the allocation of budget for the national teams preparing for the 12th South Asian Games slated for February 6-16 in India.
National Sports Council (NSC) has been claiming that the delay in budget allocation has affected the preparation for the SAG.
“There has been no doubt that Nepal will participate in the SAG and I will have a talk with PM Oli for the allocation of budget as soon as possible,” he claimed.
Earlier, Deepak Bista, president of Nepal National and International Players Association, said that delay in budget has badly hit the preparation for the SAG.
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