At the Sports Awards organized by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), boxer Chandrabahadur Thapa was named the Best Male Athlete of the Year, while karateka Erika Gurung was selected as the Best Female Athlete of the Year. Erika has become the first athlete to win the Best Female Athlete award for three consecutive years. The event took place on September 4 in Kathmandu, where volleyball player Mina Sunar won the People’s Choice Award with 29.04% of the votes. Karate coach Kushal Shrestha was honored as the Best Coach.
Coach Kushal Shrestha played a crucial role in winning historic medals at the Asian Games. He has helped athletes such as Rehan Jabed, Manisha Kumari Bohora, Sabina Shrestha, and Pushpa Lama earn medals in international competitions. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to former national badminton player Kumar Mohan Bahadur Shahi. Sushma Tamang from the Blind Women’s Cricket Team was recognized as the Best Para Athlete.
Karate athlete Manisha Kumari Bohora received the Best Youth Athlete Award. She is a bronze medalist at the 23rd Cadet, Junior, and U-21 Karate Championship, the 9th South Asian Karate Championship, and a gold medalist at the 56th National Karate Championship. Dhruv Bikram Mall, the director of Balaju Karate Dojo, a karate coach, and referee, was presented with a Special Award.
