By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Arhant Keshar Simha and Krishna Thapa defended their titles at the 5th Dhana Laxmi Memorial National Squash Tournament on Saturday.
In a final showdown that lacked the presence of his long-standing rival Amrit Thapa Magar, Arhant Keshar Simha secured a convincing victory over Dipak Thapa in the Men’s Final at the Nepal Squash Racquets Association (NSRA) Premises. Demonstrating his dominance on the court, Arhant clinched the match in straight sets with scores of 11-6, 11-4, and 11-8, claiming his remarkable fifth consecutive championship title.
On the women’s side, Krishna Thapa overcame her arch-rival Bipana Blon in a closely contested match. Krishna’s finesse was evident as she secured the first set with a score of 11-6. While Bipana Blon, a fellow national team member, put up a fierce fight in the subsequent sets, Krishna ultimately outplayed her, clinching victory with scores of 11-9 in each of the following two sets. This marked Krishna’s second consecutive win over Bipana in the tournament’s finals, solidifying her dominance.
The U19 Boys Category witnessed an intense battle, with Pasang Blon emerging victorious over Bikash Magar. Pasang was on full display as he secured the title with scores of 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, and 11-5. Meanwhile, in another competitive match, Prabin Bir Singh Kanskar emerged as the winner, defeating Sudip Bahadur Singh with scores of 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, and 10-6 in the Masters (Over 50).
The tournament organizers maintained parity in the cash prize distribution, awarding equal rewards to both the men’s and women’s champions in this edition. The winners of the Men’s and Women’s categories were each presented with NRs. 21,000, while the runners-up received NRs. 15,000 each. Additionally, those who secured third place were awarded NRs. 5000 each.
