Kathmandu, Mar. 18: Para-Taekwondoin Palesha Goverdhan won a gold medal in the Asian Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Sunday and qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympic. 

She defeated Iran’s Leila Mirzaee in the final by 5-4 points to win the gold and secure her ticket to Paris, confirmed her coach Kabiraj Negi Lama.

She reached the final defeating Uzbekistan’s Karima Melikuziev by 18-2 points. 

Palesha, the first Nepali para-athlete to win a medal in the Asian Para Games, will be representing Nepal in the Paralympics for the second time. 

She participated in the T0kyo Paralympics 2020, where she won the two bouts.  She won a bronze medal in the under 57kg category in the 4th Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, in 2022.  

Palesha has been in the national Para Taekwondo team since 2016. She is also the gold medallist in the Asian Youth Games held in Bahrain and a bronze medallist in the Asian Para-Taekwondo Championship held in Korea. Volunteer Coach Kabiraj has been training her since the age of 13 till now. 

Volunteer coach Kabiraj also informed that another para-taekwondo player Bharat Singh Mahata finished in fourth position with a loss in the repechage round. Likewise, Amir Blon lost his match today.