By Sachit Subba • Off-Field • Aug 30, 2026 09:30 AM • 53 views
The Nepal Sports Journalists Forum has announced the official list of candidates for the 23rd NSJF Pulsar Sports Award 2082, which honours the nation's best athletic achievements at home and abroad. The main event is set for Bhadra 15, 2083, in Kathmandu, and contenders will compete in five main categories.
The Male Player of the Year award includes five athletes from different sports disciplines. Chandra Thapa earned a spot by winning Nepal's first medal at the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championship, taking bronze and $75,000 in prize money. Som Bahadur Kumal was chosen after winning two gold medals at the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships and setting the national marathon record in Shenzhen. Pradip Baijali Magar made the list after winning double gold in the individual and team kumite events in Sri Lanka. Cricket all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee received recognition for scoring 662 runs and taking 15 wickets, including an unbeaten 50 against Scotland. Sadbhav Acharya completed the list by winning the Asian Junior Golf Championship and two gold medals at the 12th Nepal International Amateur Golf Championship.
The Female Player of the Year award is given to five accomplished athletes. Erika Gurung was chosen after winning gold at the South Asian Karate Championship, the Turkish Istanbul Open, and the Malaysia Open. Sabitra Bhandari earned her nomination by scoring hat-tricks in the Asian Cup qualifiers and the European league, plus three goals for Western United in Australia. Sanumaya Thing joined the group by winning team kata gold in Sri Lanka and qualifying for the World Karate Championship in Egypt. Santoshi Shrestha earned her place by setting national records in the 5,000 metres, the 10,000 metres, and the marathon. Sabina Shrestha completed the group after winning two gold medals at the South Asian Championship and reaching the quarterfinals of the World Championship in Paris.
The list of candidates for Youth Player of the Year includes boxer Arpil Rana, world junior karate gold medalists Rehan Javed and Manisha Kumari Bohora, chess player Purushottam Silwal, and cricketer Raunak Srivastav, who scored 217 runs against Gandaki in the U-19 National Championship.
The Coach of the Year category includes boxing trainers Deepak Maharjan, karate instructors Kushal Shrestha and Monday Kaji Shrestha, cricket coach Stuart Law, and Puran Singh Khatri, the women's visually impaired cricket coach.
The People's Choice Award includes Sher Malla, a cricketer; Rabindra Dhant, a mixed martial artist; Mina Sunar, a volleyball player; Puja Rana, a footballer; and Sanumaya Thing, a karateka. Voting can be done through the Khalti platform, which accounts for 50 per cent of the total votes. The other 50 per cent is determined by votes on Facebook from the public, the head coaches of the associations, and sports journalists. Winners in the category will receive a Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle, while winners in all the other categories will take home 100,000 rupees.
