Pokhara Metropolitan City has joined as the promoter of the 22nd NSJF Pulsar Sports Award which is being held in Pokhara. This is the first time the event is taking place outside the capital city of Kathmandu.

The metropolis signed a promotional agreement for the award with the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF), the organiser, at a press conference organised in Pokhara on Wednesday.

NSJF President Niranjan Adhikari and Pokhara Mayor Dhana Raj Acharya signed the memorandum on behalf of their respective organisations.

Held in conjunction with the Pokhara Visit Year 2025, the award ceremony will take place at the Pokhara Event Centre. Mayor Acharya said the city will provide both financial and moral support to the event.

“Pokhara is capable of hosting major national and international events,” said Acharya. “Bringing Nepal’s most prestigious sports award here will enhance our city’s image and strengthen its sporting identity. The metropolitan city will stand firmly behind the event.”

Highlighting Pokhara’s growing calendar of weekly events, the mayor also expressed his commitment to transforming the city into a hub for sports tourism.

Likewise, NSJF president Adhikari acknowledged the challenges of taking the award outside Kathmandu, but said the decision was driven by a desire to give the event a national scope.

“It was only possible to bring the event to Pokhara because of the support from the metropolis,” Adhikari said. “As this also coincides with Pokhara Visit Year, we hope the award will contribute meaningfully to that campaign as well.”

The NSJF Pulsar Sports Award is listed on the official calendar of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), the umbrella body of sports journalists worldwide, and AIPS-Asia, the organisation’s Asia chapter.

NSJF Gandaki Province’s president MB Aastha Magar said hosting an internationally recognised award in Pokhara was a proud moment. He expressed confidence that this experience would be valuable in organising a potential Gandaki Sports Award in the future.

Magar thanked the central NSJF for choosing Pokhara as the host and welcomed the city’s role as the award’s promoter.

This year’s award will honour athletes and sports figures across 10 categories: Male, Female, and Youth Players of the Year; Coach of the Year; People’s Choice Award; Para-athlete Award; Team of the Year; Special Award; Lifetime Achievement Award; and Asian Sports Journalist Award.

Winners in the Male, Female, Youth, Coach, and People’s Choice categories will receive Pulsar motorcycles, NSJF general secretary Anjan Khadka informed. Winners in the remaining categories will receive cash prizes of Rs100,000 each.