Kathmandu, Mar. 26: Boxer Sushma Tamang and athlete Deepak Adhikari were declared the best sportspersons of the 18th NNIPA Sports Awards 2079. Sushma won a silver medal in Asian Youth Boxing, while Deepak won individual and team gold medals in Asian Cross Country last year. Both Sushma and Deepak also received a cash prize of Rs 100,000. 

Swimmer Duwana Lama and national cricket team captain Rohit Poudel were honoured as talented players at the award ceremony held on Monday at Yal Durbar, Shankhamul. The talented players received Rs 50,000 each. Former international table tennis player and Nepal’s most international medal winner, Dharmaman Bajracharya, was honoured with the Gajraj Ardash Sports Personality Award. Similarly, Sports Journalist Ajay Phuyal was honored with the NNIPA Sports Journalist Award. Bajracharya and Phuyal received Rs 35,000 each. NNIPA conferred weightlifter Durgaman Tamang with the Para-athlete of the Year award and presented him with Rs. 15000. 

Additionally, NNIPA declared 36 players from the 36 sports disciplines included in the 9th National Games held in Gandaki Province last year as the best, on the recommendation of the respective association, and each received Rs. 10,000.