By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Former captain of the national cricket team of Nepal Paras Khadka and national women’s football team’s forward Sabitra Bhandari have been adjudged as the Best Player of the Decade in men’s and women’s categories respectively during the Pulsar Sports Awards organized by Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) on Tuesday.
The organisers decided to select best players in men’s and women’s sections and the coach on the basis of their performance over the last decade as there were hardly any sporting events last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Likewise, cricket coach Jagat Tamata was declared the Best Coach of the Decade.
NSJF awarded players and coaches under nine different categories this year. Players and sports personalities in the remaining six categories were selected as per the criteria of previous years.
Former Member Secretary of the National Sports Council Sharad Chandra Shah was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the first time in 18 editions of the awards ceremony that a posthumous awarded has been announced.
Athlete Pushpa Bhandari, who achieved the one and only success medal for Nepal at the international level, and Dr Ajay Rana for his long-standing contribution to medical sports were awarded the Special Award amid a function held at the Academy Hall, Kamaladi.
Similarly, Sarita Thulung bagged the Para Athlete Award while AIPS Chairman Satam Al Sehli was awarded the Asian Sports Journalist Award.
The men’s national football team of Nepal, which won the Three-Nations Cup last year, was announced the Team of the Year. Table tennis player Alina Maharjan walked away with the People’s Choice Award. She finished ahead of cricketer Kushal Bhurtel, shuttler Prince Dahal and footballer Anjila Subba.
The Best Player of the Decade in men’s and women’s section as well as the coach received a Pulsar motorbike each while all other award winners bagged a purse of Rs 50,000 each.
