Hemraj Paneru and Manmati Dhami named players of the year

Dhangadhi: Hemraj Paneru and Manmati Dhami have been honored as the Players of the Year at the Sudurpaschim Sports Awards 2081. At the sixth edition of the awards held in Dhangadhi, Paneru was declared the Male Player of the Year, while Dhami received the title of Female Player of the Year.

Paneru, the captain of Nepal’s women’s Khokho team, led the team to a runner-up finish in the first Khokho World Cup. He was nominated alongside karate’s Mohammad Sekhu Alam and volleyball’s Arjun Nepali. Similarly, Dhami, who also played a crucial role in Nepal’s runner-up position at the World Cup, was nominated alongside boxing’s Swastika Tiruwa and kabaddi’s Manmati Bista. Both Paneru and Dhami received a cash prize of Rs 35,000 along with a trophy.

In the Coach of the Year category, Harina Thapa of kabaddi claimed the title, beating nominees Bishnu Bhatta (kabaddi) and Jagdish Bhatta (volleyball). Thapa, who coached Nepal to its first bronze medal in the Asian Women's Kabaddi Championship, was awarded a cash prize of Rs 30,000 and a trophy.

Sushil Chunara of kabaddi was recognized as the Young Player of the Year for his outstanding performance in Nepal’s runner-up finish at the 4th Bangabandhu Men's International Kabaddi Championship in Bangladesh. Chunara received a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a trophy. His competitors for the award were football’s Niranjan Dhami and cricket’s Naren Saud.

In the Sudurpaschim Icons category, swimmer Atharva Singh and karate player Manisha Bohara were honored. Singh set a new national record at the World Aquatics Championship qualifiers, while Bohara secured a gold medal at the 8th South Asian Karate Championship in Bhutan. Both winners received Rs 25,000 along with a trophy. Other nominees included cricketer Hemant Dhami and kabaddi player Khagendra Joshi (men’s category), as well as kabaddi’s Manisha Joshi and cricket’s Savitri Dhami (women’s category).

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kamal Lama (football), recognized as the founder of football in the Far West. Similarly, cricketer Ritu Kanojia received the Special Award for being among the first batch of Nepal’s women’s cricket team and remaining active in the sport. Both recipients received Rs 25,000 and a trophy.

The awards ceremony was graced by Meghraj Khadka, Minister for Social Development of the Far West, and Pradeep Pathak, Chairman of the Sports Journalists Forum Kailali, among others. The event featured performances by singer Durgesh Thapa and various artists.

The Sports Journalists Forum Kailali organized the awards with Sudurpaschimanchal Academy (SPA) as the main sponsor and Sudurpaschim Province Sports Council as the primary promoter.