By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Nepal’s first athlete to win an international medal has been admitted to the hospital since last week. Jeet Bahadur KC, who had won Nepal’s first medal in 1973, was injured while cleaning a starter pistol used during a recent athletics tournament.
The 73-year-old former athlete sustained injuries on his left hand while cleaning the pistol three days after officiating the Run for Protein Half Marathon organized by Nepal Veterinary Association at the Dasharath Stadium on last Saturday. He had reached Tripureshwar-based Blue Cross Hospital soon after the incident. On Tuesday, the burnt part of his hand was removed and stitches were applied before plastering the hand.
“I have been undergoing treatment since a week. Doctors have said they will discharge me tomorrow,” said KC, adding, “The pistol blasted while I was trying to remove the magazine. My hand was on the nozzle so it was burnt by the smoke.”
Minister for Youth and Sports Maheshwar Jung Gahatraj had inaugurated the half marathon on Saturday. According to KC, the pistol was working well during the start of the event. However, he said that the pistol misfired during the 10,000 meter event. The pistol was kept safely after the tournament but he tried to open the magazine last Tuesday when it blasted all of a sudden.
“I went home on Saturday. There was a holiday on Sunday. I was busy with other works on Monday. Then on Tuesday, I remembered the misfiring incident and tried to remove the magazine when the gun went off,” KC further said.
KC is working as the ground in-charge of National Sports Council. He is working on half the salary that he used to get in the past. KC, who is also an Olympian, had secured a bronze medal for Nepal in track and field event in the Phillippines in 1973 which was the country’s first ever medal in international event. KC informed that he has already spent more than Rs 100,000 for his treatment.
