Close on his heels are two youngsters -- Sri Lankan Mithun Perera and Indian Ashbeer Saini -- who shot two-under 70 in the international amateur competition. Both have also staked claims in the overall competition with their first-round performance. [break]
Mithun almost clinched the main title last year only to be content with a second place finish after compatriot Anura Rohana triumphed with a chip-in eagle on the last hole.
One shot behind them are three players -- Deepak Acharya, Sanjay Lama and Rezaul Karim -- who shot one-under 71 to be tied for fourth place.
The day belonged to Rupak who continued from where he had left at the Tour Championship at the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort earlier in the month.
After having turned professional just before the Tour Championship, the previous event on the Surya Nepal Golf Tour, Rupak went on to win the title on his debut as a professional. On Wednesday, he continued the good run making a strong start to give himself a two-shot cushion after the opening round.
The leaderboard wears a very pleasant look for the local fans with as many as five Nepali players in the top ten.
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