Lalitpur District Sports Development Committee (LDSDC) is set to organise the fifth edition of Bir Ganeshman Singh Memorial National Open Kickboxing Championships next month in Godavari Municipality.

The event being held under sponsorship of Godavari Municipality, will be played from September 7 to 9 in Pyangaun, said the organisers at a press conference on Sunday. According to Binod Maharjan, the president of LDSDC and Lalitpur Kickboxing Association, the championships will feature six weight categories each in the men’s and women’s section.

The men’s section will have 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg and open weight categories while the women players will compete in the 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg and open weight divisions. The top three teams will be awarded cash prizes of Rs100,000, Rs50,000 and Rs25,000, respectively.

The gold and silver medalists of every weight division will get Rs30,000 and Rs20,000 respectively, while the two bronze medalists will walk away with Rs8,000 each. The best male and female player will get Rs25,000 apiece. The expected cost of the championships is Rs5.2 million.

Former National Sports Council treasurer and Bagmati Province parliamentarian Min Krishna Maharjan claimed that the event carries the biggest cash prize in Nepal’s kickboxing history, having around Rs1 million on offer.

Godavari Municipality mayor Gajendra Maharjan said the local government had decided to support in organising the tournament to motivate players as many talented sports persons were leaving the country for better opportunities. “We have also been supporting to organise numerous other sporting events,” said Maharjan.