SATV, Kathmandu, Sept. 5: Nepal’s national karate squad departed for Japan on Friday to undertake advanced training ahead of the 20th Asian Games.
The team is the first contingent to leave among the 22 sports discipline delegations representing the country at the Asiad. The squad will train at the World Shito-Ryu Karate Honbu Dojo in Tokyo from 6 to 16 September before travelling to Nagoya on 17 September for the Games.
The Asian Games commence on 19 September, with the karate competition running from 20 to 23 September.
The athletes were given a formal send-off at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) by the Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel.
Addressing the team, Minister Pokharel urged players to focus on performance rather than the pressure of expectations."Do not fixate on the outcome for now," Pokharel said.
"Deliver your best performance, gain valuable experience, and represent our flag with pride. The state’s respect for its athletes will not depend solely on medals. The culture of celebrating players only in victory and ignoring them in defeat must end."
The minister said that following discussions with athletes, the government has begun implementing systematic reforms to honour sports professionals.
As part of these measures, national athletes representing Nepal abroad were granted VIP access at TIA for the first time.
Speaking at the ceremony, Arika Gurung, recently named Female Player of the Year for a third consecutive time at the 23rd NSJF Pulsar Sports Awards, reiterated her commitment to striving for a podium finish. Gurung has won the silver meda in the 19th Asian Games.
Along with Gurung (over-68 kg) and Nirupa Dong Tamang (under-68 kg) are competing in the women's kumite. Sanu Maya Thing will compete in the women's individual kata, joining Alisha Raskoti and Megha Limbu for the women's team kata.
The men's squad comprises Rakesh Manandhar (under-55 kg), Min Bahadur Tamang (under-60 kg), and Tenzing Sherpa (over-84 kg).
Kushal Shrestha (kumite) and Monday Kaji Shrestha (kata) serve as national coaches.
Following the Asian Games, the team will travel to Yokohama to compete in the 11th Shito-Ryu Karate International Championship from 25 to 27 September.
To date, Nepal has secured one silver and three bronze medals across all editions of the Asian Games.
National Sports Council (NSC) Vice President Bishal Shrestha, NSC Member Secretary Ram Charitra Mehta, former NSC Member Secretary and Nepal Karate Federation President Yubaraj Lama, alongside other sports officials, also attended the farewell ceremony.
Table tennis duo off to Thailand
Nepali table tennis players Yonggi Paudel and Evana Thapa also departed for Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday to undergo an intensive training camp in preparation for the upcoming 20th Asian Games.
The duo will train at Thonburi University from 4 to 15 September. Jackie Maharjan, treasurer of the All Nepal Table Tennis Association, said that the high-performance stint would play a vital role in refining the athletes' skills, competitive edge, and overall readiness for the continental event.
Likewise, another four-member Nepali table tennis squad left for Pahang, Malaysia, on Friday to compete in the 2026 Asian University Table Tennis Championship. The national delegation comprises Himal Bista and Dev Bhujel in the men’s category, alongside Bianca Rai and Asma Pahari in the women’s events.
Former national player Purushottam Bajracharya accompanies the team as head coach.The tournament, which features student-athletes from across the continent, is scheduled to run from 5 to 11 September.
