Rohit, Arika named best players at NSJF Pulsar Sports Award

KATHMANDU: Nepali men’s cricket team captain Rohit Kumar Paudel and karateka Arika Gurung have been declared the best players at the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award.

Paudel has been named Player of the Year (Male), while Arika was declared Player of the Year (Female).

Rohit led the Nepali team to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, while Arika won a historic silver for Nepal at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.

Similarly, Kabita Bhatta from volleyball won the People’s Choice Award.

Palesha Goverdhan (Taekwondo) won the Para Athlete of the Year award, having secured a historic bronze for Nepal in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Hemanta Pal bagged the Youth Player of the Year award, while Kushal Shrestha of karate was named Coach of the Year.

Volleyball coach Kumar Rai of New Diamond Academy was honored with the Special Award, while the Women’s Kabaddi team received the Team of the Year award.

The Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) honored the former chairperson of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), Binaya Raj Pandey, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

On the occasion, NSJF conferred the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Asia Legends Award on Abdulla Ibrahim bin Hussain of UAE, Ahmad Khawari Isa of Malaysia, Saba Sabanayakan of India, Saleh Abdulaziz Alkhulif of Saudi Arabia, Mahmud Hossain Khan of Bangladesh, and Durga Nath Subedi of Nepal.

Additionally, the Asian Sports Journalist Award went to Hee Dong Jong of South Korea, while the Best National Association of the Year 2024 award went to Hong Kong.

NSJF is also hosting the 25th AIPS Asia Congress in Kathmandu.