Teen table tennis player Santoo Shrestha is the rising star of Nepali table tennis. At 18 years of age, Shrestha dominated the 2017-18 season of the domestic tournaments and vaulted to the top spot in the rankings. Shrestha won three out of four national level tournaments and lost only one out of almost three dozen finals at different level.

Shrestha was unbeaten in the national team selection tournament and capped a memorable year with triple gold in the 39th National Table Tennis Championships. He won men’s singles, doubles and team events. The three-peat was preceded by men’s singles and team event title in the Thamel Open Championships.

The only defeat of the season came for Shrestha came in the ninth Purna Man Memorial Open table tennis tournament. The Nepal Police Club player has garnered a widespread popularity following the impressive run at home. It is one of the reasons why Shrestha is one of the five nominees in the People’s Choice Award category of the Pulsar Sports Award.

The ahievement gives Shrestha an opportunity put the discipline once again in the limelight after current Nepal No 1 women’s table tennis player won the award in 2014-15. Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, Maan Bahadur Shrestha of volleyball, Pratima Sherpa of golf and footballer Kiran Chemjong are the other four nominees in the category.

To get the better of other candidates, Shrestha needs to make sure that he is well back by his supporters and has impressed enough to win votes from coaches and sports journalists. The People’s Choice Award is decided through SMS voting, facebook likes along with votes from coaches and members of organisers Nepal Sports Journalists Forum.

The SMS voting and facebook like will carry a 50 percent weightage and rest of the votes will account from coaches and NSJF members – 25 percent each. Four facebook likes are equivalent to one SMS vote. NSJF has tied up with THT Live 37722 as the official voting partner for the category. The winner of this category will ride a Pulsar motorcycle.