Nepal has finally been able to create a historic record in the world sports arena by winning a Bronze Medal.
Though Nepal has started participating in the Paralympics since the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Nepalese athlete Ms. Palesha Govardhan grabbed a historic bronze medal for Nepal in the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024. With this historic achievement, she has become the first Nepali athlete to win a medal in the Paralympics.
The word “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and the word “Olympic”. Its meaning is that Paralympics are the parallel Games to the Olympics and illustrates how the two movements exist side-by-side.
The Special Olympics is solely for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The Paralympics focus more on physical disabilities. Paralympic athletes have an impairment in body structures and functions that lead to a competitive disadvantage in sport.
The symbol also reflects the Paralympic Motto, “Spirit in Motion,” representing the strong will of every Paralympian.
The 2024 Summer Paralympics also known as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and branded as Paris 2024, is the 17th Summer Paralympic Games that kicked off on August 28 and the curtain will fall down on September 8 has brought almost 4,400 athletes from around the world to compete in 22 various events.
In the women under Taekwondo 57 kg event under the K-44 category match held last night, Palesha defeated Serbia’s Marija Michev by 15-8 points to bring a coveted bronze medal for the nation.
In the first-round match held yesterday, Palesha defeated Venezuela’s Morales by a wide margin of 31-0 and clinched to the quarterfinals. But in the quarterfinals, despite taking the initial lead against Brazilian player Silvana Mayara Fernandez, Palesha lost 10-8 to the Brazilian player at the last minute.
She was defeated in the second round, but she was awarded “repechage” (one chance) in which she defeated host country France’s Sophie Cavarzan by 2-1. And finally, she clinched ahead to play a game with Serbia after passing the qualifying round.
A 21-year-old athlete Miss Palesha started playing taekwondo at the age of 10 and joined the Para National Team in 2016.
Since then, she has participated and won medals in various international competitions.
After joining the national team, Palesha’s ‘debut’ international competition was the 3rd Asian Para Taekwondo Open Championship held in Chuncheon, South Korea in 2017 where she finished at fifth position. Palesh won the fifth place in the World Para Taekwondo held in London in 2017.
She won bronze at the 4th Asian Para Taekwondo Championship in Vietnam in 2018, and gold in the 2nd Kathmandu Kyorugi and Pumsey International Taekwondo Tournament held in Kathmandu in 2018.
She also achieved fifth position respectively at the 5th Asian Para Open Taekwondo held in Jordan in 2019 and also at the test event of the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2019.
Palesha, who was ninth in the 8th World Para Taekwondo held in Turkey in 2019, also participated in the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix held in Saudi Arabia.
In Tokyo Paralympics 2020, she created history by winning two bouts beating American and Serbian competitors but lost to China even after coming close to the medal.
Similarly, in the 4th Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, Pelasha won a historic bronze medal for Nepal.
Palesha won gold in the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games in Bahrain.
Palesha, who won 9 different awards while studying in school, has received 16 awards from different organizations at different times for her achievements in Taekwondo.
She confirmed her participation in the Paris Paralympics by winning gold in the Asian qualifying competition of the Paralympics held in Tai’an, China last March.
Palesha, who started playing Taekwondo at the age of 10 while studying at the DAV School in Jawalakhel, joined the Para National Team in 2016 is a resident of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward 28, Bagbazar,
Meanwhile, various leaders including President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Main Opposition Leader at the House of Representative ex-pm Prachanda have congratulated Miss Palesha Govardhan for winning a historic bronze medal in the Paralympics 2024.
