Himal Press 
POKHARA: Cricketer Deependra Singh Airee and karateka Arika Gurung have been declared the Athletes of the Year at the NSJF Pulsar Sports Awards in Pokhara on Wednesday.
Airee won the Male Athlete of the Year award, while Gurung was named Female Athlete of the Year.
Airee has played a significant role in the recent successes of Nepali cricket. In the 2081 BS, he scored 370 runs and took 20 wickets, including six wickets at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup held in the US.
Other nominees in this category included Bijaya Sinjali (athletics), Janak Chand (Kho-Kho), Santoo Shrestha (table tennis), and Kushal Bhurtel (cricket).
Similarly, Arika, who also won the award in the same category last year, had an outstanding year. She won two gold medals at the 8th South Asian Karate Championship in Bhutan, a gold at the Australian Open Karate Championship, and a silver medal at the Senior Karate Championship in China. She also won gold at the Asia Pacific Karate Championship in Singapore and silver at the World One League in Dubai.
Other nominees in the women’s category were Alisa Magar (karate), Manamati Dhami (Kho-Kho), Rekha Paudel (football), and Salina Shrestha (volleyball).
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Khadga Bahadur Ranabhat of Pokhara. Ranabhat, former president of the Former Players’ Forum Nepal, was honored for his unparalleled contribution to the development of Nepali sports.
Himal Sunari (volleyball) from the Gandaki region won the People’s Choice Award, while Para Taekwondo Coach Kaviraj Negi Lama was awarded Coach of the Year.
The Young Athlete of the Year award went to cricketer Pooja Mahato, who led the Nepal Women’s U-19 cricket team to its first-ever World Cup.
Likewise, the Asian Sports Journalist Award went to Mohammad Hasan Ullah Khan from Bangladesh, and the Para Athlete of the Year Award to Prabha Andembe. Similarly, the Special Award was presented to Taekwondo expert Tulsi Kumar Gurung, a British Gurkha soldier from Pokhara who is the first Nepali to achieve the 9th Dan Black Belt. Both the men’s and women’s Kho-Kho teams won the Team of the Year award.
The awards were given away by Nepal Sports Journalist Forum (NSJF).
Winners List:
Male Player of the Year: Deependra Singh Airee (Cricket)
Female Player of the Year: Arika Gurung (Karate)
People’s Choice Award: Himal Sunari (Volleyball)
Coach of the Year: Kaviraj Negi Lama (Para Taekwondo)
Young Athlete of the Year: Pooja Mahato (Cricket)
Asian Sports Journalist Award: Mohammad Hasan Ullah Khan (Bangladesh)
Para Athlete Player of the Year Award: Prabha Angdembe
Team of the Year: Men & Women Kho-Kho Teams
Special Award: Tulsi Kumar Gurung (Taekwondo)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Khadga Bahadur Ranabhat
