POKHARA, April 28: Japan’s Makoto Odakura has won the first Asian Cup Triathlon Championship held in Pokhara on Saturday. He completed the 20 km cycling, 750 meters swimming and 5 km race in 54 minutes and 17 seconds to win the title. 

He is in the 63rd place in the World Rankings and second in the Asian Region Rankings. 

Poland’s Dan Maschintosh, covering the distance in 54 minutes and 34 seconds, and Korea’s Ji Hwan Kim, clocking 55 minutes and two seconds, won silver and bronze medals respectively. 

In women’s category, Korea’s A Jin Park has won the gold medal clocking the distance in one hour, two minutes and 56 seconds beating Japan’s Konami Yoshida, who timed one hour, three minutes and 51 seconds. Likewise, Japan’s Naomi Takamine completed the distance in one hour, four minutes and 55 seconds and won the bronze.  

A total of 20 men players and nine women players took part in the tournament which featured the host Nepal, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Australia, India and Bangladesh. 

Nepal’s Basanta Tharu bagged the gold medal in the Seventh South Asian Triathlon Championship as he ended India’s Lokendra Kumar Babuji domination clocking one hour, three minutes and 58 seconds. Babuji completed his task in one hour, seven minutes and 13 seconds. Likewise, Nepal’s Nitesh Manandhar finished third completing it in one hour, eight minutes and 34 seconds. 

In the women’s category of the tournament organized by the Nepal Triathlon Association and coordinated by the International Triathlon Union, India’s Praganya Mohan and Menika Mukeshbhai Nagpur finished on gold and silver medals. Mohan timed one hour, nine minutes and 23 seconds, while Nagpur clocked one hour, 12 minutes and 47 seconds. 

Likewise, Nepal’s Soni Gurung bagged bronze with the timing of one minute, 18 minutes and 49 seconds. 

In Duathlon which featured only Nepali players, the departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club’s Himal Tamata won the gold in 5 km race, 20 km cycling and 2.5 km race in 57 minutes and 14.30 seconds, while the other departmental team Armed Police Force (APF)’s Laxman Malla finished second covering the distance in 57 minutes and 37.47 seconds. Also, APF’s Kiran Kumar Malla, clocking 57 minutes and 58.17 seconds, stood third. 

In women’s category, APF’s Huma Budha Magar won the gold medal clocking one hour, 10 minutes and 45.22 seconds, while APF’s Nirjata Tamrakar bagged silver in 1 hour, 11 minutes and 38.33 seconds and Dang’s Anisha Chaudhary clocked one hour, 22 minutes and 5.5 seconds to get the third place.
 

 
• Asian
 
• Cup
 
• cycling
 
• Japan
 
• Nepal