The Nepal Sports Journalists Forum on Thursday announced five athletes representing five different sports disciplines as the nominees for the People’s Choice category at the 23rd edition of the Pulsar Sports Award.

The list includes volleyball spiker Meena Sunar, footballer Puja Rana, karateka Sanu Maya Thing, cricketer Sher Malla, and mixed martial arts fighter Rabindra Dhant. The winner will be determined through public voting and announced during the main awards ceremony scheduled for September 3 (Bhadra 18).

The players were selected by a committee led by NSJF secretary Anil Malla Thakuri. The other members were AIPS-ASIA’s treasurer Niranjan Rajbanshi, Himesh Ratna Bajracharya, Prajeet Shakya and Birat Jung Rayamajhi.

About the nominees

Sunar is an emerging volleyball star. She captained Everest Volleyball Club and led Nepal Police Club to a third-place finish at the CAVA Women’s Club Championship. Internationally, she earned a silver medal at the CAVA U19 Championship in Sri Lanka and a bronze at the CAVA U20 Championship in the Maldives.

Rana, a key defender, delivered standout performances during the Asian Cup Qualifiers in Uzbekistan last year. She has also established a strong overseas profile, playing in professional leagues for Transport United in Bhutan, as well as Farashganj FC and Nasrin Sports Academy in Bangladesh.

Karateka Thing secured team kata gold and individual kata silver at the South Asian Karate Championship. She represented Nepal at the World Karate Championship in Cairo and claimed gold at the UKKS One Ultimate Kata and Kumite Challenge.

Malla, an off-spinner, took a wicket on his very first ball during his ICC T20 World Cup debut against England in February. He earned his national team call-up following a standout campaign with Lumbini Lions in the Nepal Premier League Season 2, having previously won the inaugural NPL title with Janakpur Bolts. He also captained Sudurpashchim Province to the Prime Minister Cup final.

Meanwhile, Dhant, who has earned the moniker ‘Bajhang ko Bagh’, made history as the first Nepali fighter to enter the “Road to UFC” tournament. Having won his opening fight in May, he is currently sharpening his skills at Bali-based Soma Fight Club ahead of his next bout in Shanghai on August 28. Dhant also claimed the bantamweight title at Matrix Fight Night 17 in India by defeating Chungreng Koren.

Voting mechanics

Along with unveiling the nominees, the NSJF announced a major shift in the category's voting mechanics.

Renewing its sponsorship agreement with 'Khalti By IME' as the official digital voting partner, the forum announced that fans will no longer have to pay to cast their votes.

Under the new model, the public can cast one free vote daily for their preferred athlete until 11:59 pm on September 2.

“The voting process was revised to address concerns that athletes with wealthier fan bases previously held an unfair advantage,” said NSJF President Niranjan Adhikari. “We believe this format levels the playing field.”

Votes cast via the Khalti app will account for 50 percent of the total score. The remaining 50 percent will be evaluated through votes from NSJF members, national chief coaches, and public interaction on the official Facebook pages of the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award and Pulsar Nepal.

The winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive a Pulsar motorcycle. Winners across the remaining categories—including Para Athlete, Special Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Asian Sports Journalist—will receive Rs100,000 each.