Shrijana Ghising was once one of Nepal’s most promising para taekwondoins. In 2022, she won gold for Nepal at the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix Finals, defeating the world’s top three athletes. A year later, Ghising was expected to bring another gold medal, this time at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.

In 2023, Ghising migrated to Australia to explore better opportunities. Oceania Taekwondo Union was the proposer of her visa. Now she is aiming for a gold medal at the 2028 LA Paralympics—for Australia. 

Ghising, 26, got her Australian citizenship in June. The Australian government said that they were glad to have Ghising on board.

For Shrijana, it represents a remarkable opportunity to compete for a country offering greater facilities and recognition. But for Nepal, her departure marks a missed opportunity, according to coaches who previously trained her.

“Shrijana’s journey from being a visitor who fell in love with this country to now preparing to represent the green and gold on the world stage highlights the important contributions new citizens can make to Australia and our international success,” Damien Kilner, an official at the Department of Home Affairs, was quoted by SBS News in August.

Moreover, Ghising’s Australian citizenship process was expedited with authorisation from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and under special provisions of the Citizenship Act so she could compete for Australia at upcoming tournaments.

In an interview with SBS News, Ghising said that she was happy to be in Australia.

“I have experienced a lot of discrimination in my life, but when I came to Australia everyone was very kind, and they did not treat me differently because of my disability,” Ghising said. “Everyone in Australia is treated with the same respect. I love Australia, its culture and its people.”

Ghising added, “I came for a holiday, but it became my home.”

Ghising has already started winning medals for her new home.

Earlier this month, Ghising clinched gold at the 2026 World Taekwondo Para Grand Prix in Muju, South Korea. Not only Australian Taekwondo, but the Oceania Taekwondo Union also hailed it as a historic achievement for Australia and the Oceania region.

“Shrijana would have been a great asset to Nepal in para taekwondo,” Kabiraj Negi Lama, the volunteer coach of Nepal under whom Ghising won the gold in 2022, told the Post on Thursday. “She used to break stones for a living before joining para taekwondo. She was strong as a stone and was also at the top level in terms of skills. We failed to give her the platform and facilities she deserved.”

Lama fears that Nepal could keep on losing its best athletes for the lack of proper recognition and support from the state. “Bharat [Singh Mahata] has also left Nepal,” Lama said.

Mahata, another promising athlete who was also coached by Lama, represented Nepal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. He could not win a medal then. But he was determined to win one at LA28. “I won’t be surprised if we see him representing another country soon,” Lama said.