KATHMANDU, Oct 1: The 20th Asian Games proved unforgiving for Nepal’s judokas as all four athletes competing on Wednesday were eliminated in their opening bouts despite nearly three years of preparation.
Bikash BK, Bishesh BK, Nisha Shrestha and Devkimaya Shrestha all failed to advance in their respective weight categories at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, extending Nepal’s wait for its first Asian Games medal in judo.
Expectations had been higher this time following prolonged training under Mission 2026. But the Nepali athletes lacked international match exposure, a weakness that became evident against experienced and ranked opponents.
The team’s participation was also notable because four athletes came from two families. Bikash and Bishesh are brothers, while Devkimaya and Nisha are sisters, a rare occurrence for Nepal at the Asian Games.
Devkimaya, the most experienced of the four and a participant at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, came closest to advancing. Competing in the women’s 52kg category, she fought Vietnam’s Lam Thi Ngan Ha until the closing seconds before losing by yuko.
With only 20 seconds remaining in the four-minute contest, Devkimaya conceded the decisive yuko. Both competitors had earlier received shido penalties. She attempted a counterattack late in the bout but could not turn the contest around.
Govt allocates Rs 2.4 billion for Asian Games, SAG and National...
“Devki fought hard until the end but could not succeed with the counterattack,” Nepal coach Sunita Magar Tamrakar said. “All our opponents were ranked athletes. All four of our players gave 100 percent. Winning and losing are part of sport, and I would not say they performed poorly.”
In the men’s under 60kg category, Bikash’s challenge lasted just 48 seconds against Uzbekistan’s Samariddin Kuchkarov.
Both athletes had received first round byes, but Bikash could not capitalise when he entered the mat. Kuchkarov, who has won gold medals at the Asian junior and world championship levels, attacked aggressively from the outset and secured victory by ippon.
“Bikash tried to attack, but he was facing an experienced and accomplished opponent,” Tamrakar said.
Nisha also suffered an early exit in the women’s 48kg category. She lost by ippon to Hong Kong’s Yeung Ka Lee after two minutes and 32 seconds.
Bishesh put up a longer fight in the men’s 66kg category, staying in the contest for the full four minutes against Hong Kong’s Wong Ka Ki. He was eventually defeated by waza ari.
Although all four suffered the same fate, their bouts unfolded differently. Bikash and Nisha could not complete the regulation four minutes, while Bishesh fought until the end. Devkimaya remained in contention until the final 20 seconds before conceding the decisive score.
The results again highlighted a persistent problem for Nepali judo: lack of international competition.
None of the four athletes had competed in an international tournament during the past two years. They had taken part in only two domestic competitions during that period before being thrown against athletes who regularly compete at Asian and world level.
“They haven't competed internationally in the past two years, while domestic competitions were also limited. That affected their performance,” Tamrakar said.
Nepal's judo team had been training regularly for nearly three years under Mission 2026. Considerable time went into physical and technical preparation, but limited exposure meant the athletes had few opportunities to test those skills under international competitive pressure.
Judo requires more than prolonged training. Regular competition helps athletes adjust to different fighting styles, speed, physical strength and tactics while learning to perform under pressure. The bouts in Nagoya exposed the gap between training at home and competing against seasoned international opponents.
Nepal, however, still has three medal opportunities in judo. Poonam Shrestha will compete in the women’s under 70kg category, Sujan Gurung in the men’s under 90kg category, while Nepal will also contest the mixed team event.
Poonam, a gold medallist at the 13th South Asian Games, is among Nepal’s most experienced judokas and carries expectations of a stronger showing.
Wednesday's results, however, left Nepali judo confronting a familiar lesson: long term training alone may not be enough. Without regular international match exposure, preparation at home can fall short when athletes face seasoned opponents on Asia’s biggest sporting stage.
