KATHMANDU, May 15: Four new categories for Pulsar Sports Awards were revealed at an event held in Kathmandu on Monday. Five different players from cricket were included in the nominations under various categories.
Nepal Sports Journalist Forum (NSJF) announced the new categories of best male, best female, best coach and best youth player for the upcoming awards season, including the likes of Nepal national cricket team caption Paras Khadka, all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, and national team head coach Jagat Tamata as well as U-19 head coach Binod Das as new entrants for the coveted sports award.
Paras Khadka, Sandeep Lamichhane, badminton player Dipesh Dhami, judo player Indra Bahadur Rusthe and golfer Tanka Karki have been nominated for the best male player of the year award.
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Similarly, boxing player Bimala Shrestha, badminton’s Shova Gauchan, archery’s Gyanu Awale, football’s Sabitra Bhandari and table-tennis’s Nabita Shrestha will compete for the best female player of the year award for their contributions and achievements in sports last year.
Veteran cricket coaches Tamata and Das will participate with football coach Chhiring Lopsang, boxing’s Prakash Thapa Magar and badminton’s Jayant Kumar Rusthe for the coach of the year accolade.
The People’s Choice Award remains the most popular attraction of the day with table-tennis player Santoo Shrestha competing with cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, footballer Kiran Chemjong, golfer Pratima Shrestha and spiker Man Bahadur Shrestha for the Pulsar Sports Award to be declared on May 18.
It is one of the eight categories of the Sports Award that is decided based on SMS voting and Facebook likes. However, for the first time, it will also carry the votes from sports journalists and coaches from 35 sports disciplines.
Nepal Sports Journalists Forum is organizing the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award at the Tribhuvan Army Officers’ Club on May 18.
The award ceremony will feature eight categories — Male, Female, Youth, Coach, People’s Choice, Para-athlete, Special and Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winners of the male, female, people’s choice and coach awards will get Bajaj Pulsar NS160 motorbike each, while other winners will get Rs 50,000 each.
As per the agreement, Hansraj Hulaschand and Co Pvt Ltd will provide the NSJF with one million rupees in cash and four Bajaj Pulsar motorbikes.