Prins Dahal and Rasila Maharjan Crowned Champions at the 14th Pushpalal Memorial National Badminton Championships

Prins Dahal of the Armed Police Force (APF) and Rasila Maharjan of the Tribhuvan Army Club successfully defended their titles at the 14th Pushpalal Memorial National Senior Badminton Championships. Prins defeated Kshitiz Khanal in the men’s singles final, while Rasila bested Shesna Shripali to claim the women’s singles championship. Organized by the National Badminton Association, the week-long tournament awarded over NPR 4.1 million in prizes to winners across various categories. (31 Shrawan, Kathmandu)

In the men’s singles final, APF’s Prins Dahal, seeded among the top eight, overcame his fellow APF player Kshitiz Khanal in straight sets, 21–15, 21–7. This victory was particularly significant as Prins avenged his earlier defeat to Kshitiz in the league stage. For winning the title, Prins received NPR 48,500 along with a medal, trophy, and certificate, while runner-up Kshitiz earned NPR 30,000 plus similar awards.

Vishnu Kutuwal of Peace Fitness Club and Prafull Maharjan of Tribhuvan Army Club shared third place in the men’s singles category. In the women’s singles event, Rasila Maharjan defeated Nepal Police Club’s Shesna Shripali 21–12, 21–13 in straight sets, securing the title for the second consecutive time. Rasila received NPR 50,000 for her victory, while Shesna earned NPR 28,500 as the runner-up. Nita Lamsal from Nepal Police Club and Rihana Sherpa from APF jointly secured third place.

In men’s doubles, the APF pair of Devaraj Rana and Prins Dahal triumphed over Tribhuvan Army Club’s team of Bidhan Adhikari and Prafull Maharjan with scores of 22–20, 21–17 to claim the championship. In the under-11 category, Virat Basnet of Nepal Police won the boys’ singles, and Rensha Shrestha from APF took the girls’ singles title. The total tournament expenditure was approximately NPR 4,105,200, with prize money totaling NPR 1,078,000. Notably, players winning the championship three times consecutively are eligible to receive a motorcycle or scooter.

The closing ceremony featured prize distribution by former government minister and Nepal Olympic Committee chairman Jeevan Ram Shrestha, as well as National Badminton Association president Ramjee Bahadur Shrestha, among others.