Chaulagain, Shakya, Karki secure places

Ayesha Shakya (Bista), Yan Kumari Chaulagain and Rejina Karki on Monday secured tickets to the 12th South Asian Games (SAG)-slated for February 6-16 in India—after winning their respective weight division finals during the selection tournament.
Representing the National Team, Shakya made booked a place for the regional sports meet for the third time in succession after seeing off the challenge from Sangita Bashyal of Nepal APF Club 8-1 in women’s below 62kg category final. Shakya is the 2011 SAG gold medallist and the 2006 Asian Games bronze medal winner.
Chaulagain also earned a place in the SAG for the third time in succession but will be competing for the second time. She had to pull out at the last moment in the 10th edition due to jaundice. On Monday, the Nepali Army player dispatched Sita Tamang of Nepal Police Club (NPC) 11-2 in the below 49kg weight division final.
Karki of NPC, meanwhile, will make her debut in the SAG after securing a berth in the below 46kg category. She beat Sarita Shrestha of Western Region 1-0 in final.
Two more berths are available for SAG in the women’s category. Gyani Chunara of National Team and Renu Lama of Mid-western Region will battle it out for the below 57-kg place, while Nima Gurung of NPC and Namrata Tuladhar of Nepali Army will clash for the below 53kg category honours on Tuesday.
Along with five female, Nepal are set to field eight male taekwondo players in the SA Games. Prem Rana, Shekhar Upretti, Naresh Chaudhary and Chandra Bahadur Rana Magar made it to the men’s below 54kg weight division semi-finals on Monday.
Ranjan Shrestha, Naubalak Chaudhary, Sunil Paudel and Manmohan Bhattarai secured the last four places in the men’s below 58kg category, while advancing to the semi-finals in the men’s below 63kg event include Bir Bahadur Mahara, Niraj Deuba, Kiran Bahadur Ale and Ajay Gurung.
Padam Tamang, Mohammed Besh, Anil Moktan and James Pradhan entered the men’s below 68kg category semi-finals. Nischal Man Shrestha, Ram Dutta Bhatta, Prabin Shrestha and Bharat Bohara advanced to the below 74kg semi-finals, while Anoj Pujari, Nirajan Khadka, Jay Prakash Khatkhenan and Sakshyam Karki also entered the below 80kg semi-finals. Durga Thapa, Anish Maharjan, Bipin Karki and Ramhari Mahat complete the below 87kg category semi-final lineup. The eventual winners in each of the weight divisions are assured of places in the SAG.
 Taekwondo have so far provided Nepal 24 gold medals in the SA Games.