The 18-year old lady golfer Pratima Sherpa is one of the five nominees listed in the People’s Choice category of the Pulsar Sports Award slated for May 17 at the Tribhuvan Army Officer’s Club.

Sherpa had a fairytale story to tell for the year 2017-18 (2073 BS) after she became the Nepal No 1 lady golfer defying all odds that began from a tiny shed housed as a store room at the Royal Nepal Golf Club. Her dedication and keen interest in the sport coupling with global recognition has made her one of the most talked of athletes for Nepal.

The year began for Sherpa in the United States of America where global cable and satellite sports television channel ESPN ran a story of her entitle: “Pratima’s Dream” which projected a heart rending story of how she has been aspiring to become Nepal’s first professional lady golfer rising from an impoverished background.

Sherpa became the first lady golfer who participated in the selection for Surya Nepal Golf Tour—country’s premier professional golfing event. Her participation was a proof that even girls from very ordinary background can get involved into a game that is yet to make impact in ordinary men of the country.

The appearance in the Surya Nepal Golf Tour qualifying event was then followed by her appearance in the Faldo Series Nepal Qualfiier which she went on to win. Sherpa didn’t have the best of the outing in the Grand Asia Final of the Faldo Series in Vietnam but it left her with a plenty of experience that would go on to shape her career further.

The biggest achievement for Sherpa came at the end of the year after she left her second trip to the US and earned a rare opportunity to undergo a half-an-hour personal training with American golf legend Tiger Woods. The 14-time major winner provided golfing tips to Sherpa at the Medallist Golf Club in Florida and couldn’t refrain himself from appreciating the teen.

Sherpa, no doubt, had had a tremendous year both on and off the field as ESPN recently filmed a documentary on her journey towards golf. But to win the People’s Choice award decided through voting, she has to surpass some of the established names in Nepali sports that begins with footballer Kiran Chemjong and young leg spin prodigy Sandeep Lamichhane of cricket.

Table tennis player Santoo Shrestha and spiker Maan Bahadur Shrestha are other two athletes in the nomination of the category. In a process that has been tweaked to declare the winner, organisers Nepal Sports Journalists Forum will also take the voting from its members and sports coaches. The SMS voting will carry a total weightage of 50 percent. THT Live 37733 is the official voting partner.