• National
  • Politics
  • Valley
  • Opinion
  • Money
  • Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle

  • National
    • Madhesh Province
    • Lumbini Province
    • Bagmati Province
    • National Security
    • Koshi Province
    • Gandaki Province
    • Karnali Province
    • Sudurpaschim Province
  • Politics
  • Valley
    • Kathmandu
    • Lalitpur
    • Bhaktapur
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • As it is
    • Letters
    • Editorial
    • Cartoon
  • Money
  • Sports
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • International Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Brunch with the Post
    • Movies
    • Life & Style
    • Theater
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Fashion
  • Health
  • Food
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Investigations
  • Climate & Environment
  • World
  • Science & Technology
  • Interviews
  • Visual Stories
  • Crosswords & Sudoku
  • Horoscope
  • Forex
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Today's ePaper
Friday, May 9, 2025

Without Fear or FavourUNWIND IN STYLE

24.12°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 155
300+Hazardous
0-50Good
51-100Moderate
101-150Unhealty for Sensitive Groups
151-200Unhealthy
201-300Very Unhealthy
Fri, May 9, 2025
24.12°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 155
  • What's News :

  • Nepal urges for peace
  • Pro-monarchy forces unite
  • Dry port construction begins
  • Blackbuck boom poses problems
  • NCD screening plans

Sports

Podium sweep: Nepali mountain bikers dominate downhill race

Six more gold medals are up for grabs in cross country, road race and time trial.Podium sweep: Nepali mountain bikers dominate downhill race
Nepal’s Rajesh Magar in action during downhill race at the South Asian Games. Photo Courtesy: Nepal Cycling Association
bookmark
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • Whatsapp
  • mail
Prajwal Oli
Published at : December 5, 2019
Updated at : December 5, 2019 07:20
Kathmandu

Nepal’s Rajesh Magar, or RJ Ripper as he is widely known on the world cycling circuit, proved his credentials as one of the Asia’s fastest mountain bikers, as he finished top in the men’s 1km downhill race at the 13th South Asian Games on Wednesday.

In the race held at the Shahid Park Trail in Gokarna, the four-time national champion and 2018 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year clocked 1 minute 49.33 seconds to win the gold medal. This is Nepal’s first gold in the discipline since it was introduced in the 2006 Games in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nirvan Shrestha (1:50.080) and Prachit Thapa Magar (1:51.661) made a clean sweep of the podium for Nepal.

“Our predecessors were better than us, but they didn’t have the opportunity to compete,” said 23-year-old Rajesh, who is acclaimed globally for his skills.

Further asserting supremacy in the event, Nepal also claimed the top two spots in women’s downhill race where national champion Nishma Shrestha clocked 2:22.45 for gold while Jamuna Thapa (2:41.551) finished second. Yasodhara Madhukar (3:37.238) of India came in at a distant third.

Their impressive victories, the top mountain bikers say, were possible because of training and ample support from their coaches and the Nepal Cycling Association.

“In the past, we trained on our own. But the association arranged everything, including coaches and equipment this time around,” said Nishma, the 23-year-old new regional champion.

Rajesh Magar and Nishma Shrestha show their gold medals after downhill victories.  Photo Courtesy: Santosh Rai

In addition, the athletes also say the home conditions also played to their advantage, despite last-minute preparations on the trail.

“The trail was prepared two weeks prior to the race. We got a taste of the trail and its sections, which was very helpful to us,” she said.

But dismissing those suggestions, downhill coach Umang Shrestha attributed the home riders’ success to their confidence and rigorous preparations.

“Even the Bangladeshi team have trained on the circuit for a week. Our mountain bikers have trained on many other demanding trails, including those at Hattiban and Nagarkot,” he said. “The results have come as expected.”

A total of 20 mountain bikers from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka participated in the race. Six more gold medals are up for grabs in the discipline including cross country, road race and time trial.

“I have many more targets in the future and one of them is to win gold at the Asian Games,” Rajesh told the Post. “We are capable of competing at the world stage if we get enough support from authorities.”

South Asian Games 2019

Prajwal Oli

Prajwal Oli was a sports coordinator for The Kathmandu Post, focusing on football, cricket and the National Sports Council. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2017, he spent more than eight years at Republica, specialising in football and sports politics, and at The Rising Nepal.


Related News

9th PM Cup NVA League in Pokhara
India suspends IPL for a week, Pakistan moves T20 league amid conflict
Rain washes out Nepal vs Hong Kong clash in Women’s Asia Qualifier
Nepal women start pursuit of first-ever T20 World Cup
Adhikari elected NSJF President
Army win National Hockey Tournament

Most Read from Sports

Spotlight or sideline? Nepali sport’s social media dilemma
For Nepal, Global Chess is no child’s play
Central contract players struggle in core camp
KU Running Shield-2082 nears finale
From the far west to the heights of the game

Editor's Picks

Spotlight or sideline? Nepali sport’s social media dilemma
Deported by US, denied by Bhutan
National flag caught in politics. Experts call for clearer rules
Everest to no longer be anybody’s climb
Three generations devoted to care of Central Zoo animals

E-PAPER | May 09, 2025

  • Read ePaper Online
×
ABOUT US
  • About the Post
  • Masthead
  • Editorial Standards & Integrity
  • Workplace Harassment Policy
  • Privacy Policy
READ US
  • Home Delivery
  • ePaper
CONTACT US
  • Write for the Post
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Advertise in the Post
  • Work for the Post
  • Send us a tip
INTERACT WITH US
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS
  • eKantipur
  • saptahik
  • Nepal
  • Nari
  • Radio Kantipur
  • Kantipur TV
© 2025 www.kathmandupost.com
  • Privacy Policy
Top