Tej Bahadur Deuba won his first title at the flyweight (52kg) winning the gold medal in the Nepal National Games

The eighth edition of the Nepal National Games was held in the city of Nepalgunj where 16 champions have been crowned. Nepal’s top female hopes Bimala Shrestha, Sangita Sunar and Punam Rawal won several national events and they all continued their successes in the National Games as well. Tej Bahadur Deuba is one of the most technicians Nepal’s male boxers who won his title in his new category at the National Games.
Nepal attended in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok in the second part of April and their athletes were also there several international competitions in 2018 including the Asian Games. Their boxers proved strong developments in the international stages in spite of the difficulties of the country.
The female boxers could attend in six different weight categories while the men’s athletes fought for 10 titles in Nepalgunj. The competition was an important selection event for the upcoming boxing tournament of the South Asian Games which will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal in the first part of December.
The first surprise of the Nepal National Games was delivered by Sushma Tamang who defeated ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Lalita Maharjan in the final of the women’s light flyweight (48kg). Tamang claimed bronze medal in the 2016 National Games which she changed to gold in Nepalgunj.
Bimala Shrestha won her first National Games’ title in 2016 and the experienced international stage boxer was able to repeat that performance after beating Mala Rai in the final of the women’s flyweight (51kg). Minu Gurung was participant already in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and her high number of contests supported her success over Nisha Tamang in the final of the women’s bantamweight (54kg).
Following Chandra Kala Thapa’s success at the women’s featherweight (57kg), Sangita Sunar defeated Sabina Shrestha in the final of the lightweight (60kg) proving that she found her best category. Punam Rawal claimed the gold medal in the 2016 National Games and she was able to defend her throne at the light welterweight (64kg) in Nepalgunj where she was too strong for Binita Thapa Magar.
The first man title in the National Games was taken by Sushil Thapa who attended also in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok. Tej Bahadur Deuba dominated the national events at the light flyweight (49kg) in the recent years but moved up to the flyweight (52kg) in the recent few months. The experienced boxer defeated Bikram Pariyar in the final of the National Games and proved his excellent technical skills.
Two-time Asian Games competitor Puran Rai is another experienced male boxer in Nepal who did enough to beat Surendra Rai in the final of the men’s bantamweight (56kg). Another international boxer Bhupendra Thapa Magar, who also attended in two editions of the Asian Games, was too strong for all of his rivals including Dan Bahadur Darlami in the final of the light welterweight (64kg).
Bikash Lama attended in the national events already in 2009 and his skills were too strong for all of his rivals at the welterweight (69kg). South Asian Games bronze medallist Deepak Shrestha moved up to the middleweight (75kg) and none of the participants were able to stop him in the event. Ashish Dawadi is Nepal’s new sensation at the super heavyweight (+91kg) who dominated all of his fights in the event. His performance could be enough to get a title in the upcoming South Asian Games on December.

List of the winners in the Nepal National Games
Women’s 48kg: Sushma Tamang
Women’s 51kg: Bimala Shrestha
Women’s 54kg: Minu Gurung
Women’s 57kg: Chandra Kala Thapa
Women’s 60kg: Sangita Sunar
Women’s 64kg: Punam Rawal
Men’s 49kg: Sushil Thapa
Men’s 52kg: Tej Bahadur Deuba
Men’s 56kg: Puran Rai
Men’s 60kg: Prakash Limbu Izam
Men’s 64kg: Bhupendra Thapa Magar
Men’s 69kg: Bikash Lama
Men’s 75kg: Deepak Shrestha
Men’s 81kg: Manohar Basnet
Men’s 91kg: Arjun Sigu
Men’s +91kg: Ashish Dawadi

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