Table tennis player Santoo Shrestha and karateka Arika Gurung were honoured as the year’s best of the best male and female players, respectively, at the 20th NNIPA Sports Award in Banepa, Kavre, on Friday.

The Nepal National and International Players Association (NNIPA) organised the award ceremony on the premises of Chandeshwari Temple in Banepa Municipality. It was the first time in its 20 editions that the NNIPA Sports Award was hosted outside the Kathmandu valley.

The recipients of different awards were selected based on their performance in the Nepali Year 2081BS (mid-April 2024 to mid-April 2025).

Shrestha had won the South Asian Qualification and progressed to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Similarly, Gurung had won historic silver at the World Karate One-Youth League and gold at Australian Open. She also won gold at the 16th Asia Pacific Karate-do Championship, the 56th National Karate Championship and the 4th Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Memorial National Karate Championship; double gold at the 8th South Asian Karate Championship; and silver at 20th AKF Senior Karate Championship.

With the award, Gurung grabbed the best female player of the year award in consecutive editions. Alongside the award, Shrestha and Gurung also walked away with a cheque of Rs100,000 each.

Senior volleyball coach Kumar Rai was honoured with the ‘Gajaraj Joshi Ideal Sports Personality’ award. Udipt Singh Chhetry, a senior photojournalist, was feted with the NNIPA Journalism Award.

Likewise, the best athletes in 26 different sports were also awarded at the function.

Arika Gurung (karate), Min Karki (fencing), Tilak Pun (archery), Maulik Maharjan (triathlon), Erwin Shrestha (swimming), Sunira Thapa (tennis), Rashila Maharjan (badminton), Rabina Chaudhary (kabaddi), Dikshya Magar (judo), Preeti Rai (football), Achyut Krishna Kharel (cycling), Santoshi Shrestha (athletics), Amresh Kumar Yadav (wrestling), Abhishek Baral (taekwondo), Swastika Tiruwa (boxing), Shivaji Silwal (wushu), Sumitra Regmi (volleyball), Nikesh Rakhal Magar (basketball), Sadhvav Acharya (golf), Dilip Yadav (weightlifting), Rabin Chepang (rafting and canoeing), Nilima Pandey (hockey), Nisha Rai (handball), Sumit Tamakhu (gymnastics), Santoo Shrestha (table tennis) and Laxmi Rai (ski) were adjudged the best athletes in their respective sports.

The best of the best players, alongside talented players of the year, were selected among the 26 athletes. Taekwondo’s Baral and boxing’s Tiruwa grabbed talented players award in the male and female categories, respectively.

Prabha Angdembe was given the Para Athlete Honour.

Photo: Courtesy of National Sports Council

Recipients of different awards pose after the 20th NNIPA Sports Award concluded in Banepa, Kavre, on Friday.