KATHMANDU – Gopi Chandra Parki of the Armed Police Force (APF) Club has been selected to represent Nepal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He will be competing in the marathon event.
Parki’s selection was confirmed after he won a title in a marathon held in Nepalgunj, Banke on Saturday. Parki had won a gold medal in the 5,000 meters race in the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal last December.
In the Nepalgunj marathon, Parki came ahead of 25 athletes, completing the 42.195 km race in 2 hr 18 min 59 secs. Krishna Basnet of the Nepal Army came second with a timing of 2 hr 20 min 49 secs. Khagendra Bhat, also from the Nepali Army, came third clocking 2 hr 27 min 28 secs.
The winners pocketed a cash prize of Rs. 75,000, Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 10,000, respectively. As qualifying games could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nepal Olympic Committee had decided to select the winner of Nepalgunj marathon to represent Nepal in the Tokyo Olympics.
In the same event, Pushpa Bhandari of the APF Club won the women’s half marathon with a timing of 1 hr 26 min 54 secs. She took home a Rs. 30,000 cash prize.
