Sports
Swimmer Kumal finishes 19th at Paris Paralympics
Kumal’s competition wrapped up Nepal’s participation at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.Sports Bureau
Nepal’s para swimmer Bhim Bahadur Kumal exited the Paris Paralympics after he finished last in the men’s 50 metres freestyle S9 event of the swimming competition on Monday.
A total of 19 para swimmers competed in the men's 50 metres event at the Paris La Defence Arena in Paris.
Kumal took 35.08 seconds to complete the 50 metres distance to finish sixth in Heat 1. Kumal’s personal best in the event is 35.84 seconds, which he achieved during the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in China.
Kumal’s competition wrapped up Nepal’s participation at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Nepal had sent three para athletes to Paris and will return home with a historic medal.
Nepal’s Palesha Goverdhan won a bronze medal in the women’s K44 under 57 kg weight category of the taekwondo competition, becoming the first athlete from Nepal to win a Paralympic medal.
Goverdhan defeated Marija Micev of Serbia 15-8 in the bronze medal match.
Goverdhan’s bronze is also the highest sports honour a Nepali athlete has ever achieved in the world stage.
Bharat Singh Mahata, another para taekwondo athlete from Nepal, crashed out on the opening day of the Paralympics after he lost his men’s K44 under 58 kg round of 16 match to Mitsuya Tanaka of Japan 3-19.