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Palesha Goverdhan

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Palesha Goverdhan
Goverdhan in 2021
Personal information
Native nameपलेशा गोवर्धन
Full namePalesha Goverdhan
NationalityNepalese
Born (2003-07-23) 23 July 2003 (age 21)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Alma materTongji University, Shanghai, China
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight57 kg (126 lb)
Sport
CountryNepal
SportPara Taekwondo
DisabilityCongenital limb deficiency
Disability classK44
Turned pro2016
Coached byKabiraj Negi Lama
Medal record
Women's Para Taekwondo
Representing  Nepal
Paralympics
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 57 kg
Asian Para Taekwondo Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Vietnam 58 kg
Asian Para Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou 57 kg
Asian Youth Para Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Manama 57 kg
Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2024 Tai'an 57 kg

Palesha Goverdhan (Nepali: पलेशा गोवर्धन, born 25 July 2003) is a Nepali parataekwondo practitioner.[1] In 2021, she competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the 58 kg category.[2][3] Three years later, Goverdhan competed at the 2024 Summer Paralympics (57 kg Category) and won a bronze medal, becoming the first Nepalese athlete to win a medal at the Paralympics.[4]

Personal life

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Palesha Goverdhan was born to Pradeep Goverdhan and Manita Goverdhan (née Shrestha) in Bagbazar, Kathmandu. She was born without a left palm.[5] She has been training with her coach, Kabiraj Negi Lama, in the Nepal Taekwondo Association since 2016.[6][7]

Career

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Goverdhan won the bronze medal in the Asian Para Taekwondo Championship held in 2018 in Vietnam.[8]

Goverdhan participated at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. She lost 21–8 to Great Britain's Beth Munro, the eventual silver medalist.[9] Goverdhan won repechage matches against Brianna Salinaro of the USA and Marija Mičev of Serbia, but lost to China's Li Yujie. In doing so, she became the first Nepali athlete to win two fights at the Summer Paralympics.[10] Later that year, Gobardhan won the first gold medal for Nepal in para-Taekwondo by defeating Ebrahimi Roza from Iran in the final of the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games.[11]

Govardhan won bronze medal in 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, becoming the first Nepali para-athlete to win a medal in the Asian Para Games.[12][13]

In March 2024, Goverdhan won gold in the women's 57 category the Asian section of the Pralympics qualification. In doing so, she qualified for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France, becoming the first Nepalese to qualify via that route.[14] In the 57 kg category of the games, Goverdhan won her first match against Valeria Morales of Venezuela with a score of 31-0. She then lost to Silvana Fernandes of Brazil in a close match, with a score of 8-10. Afterward, Goverdhan competed in the Repechage round for a bronze medal. She won her first Repechage match against Sophie Caverzan of France with a score of 2-1. In the Repechage final, she defeated Marija Mičev of Serbia with a score of 15-8. This won her a bronze medal and she became Nepal's first-ever Paralympic medalist.[15][16] For this achievement, she was awarded रू65 lakh (US$49,000) by the Nepalese prime minister KP Oli on behalf of the Government of Nepal.[17]

Honours and Awards

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S.N Honors and Awards By Year
1. 15th NNIPA Sports Award 2077 Nepal National and International Players Association (NNIPA) 2021 [18]
2. Best Player Award of the Year 2022 National Sports Council (Nepal) 2022 [19]
3. Best Para Athlete of NSJF Bajaj Pulsar Sports Award 2078 Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) 2023 [20]
4. Vibhushit (जनसेवाश्री पञ्चम श्रेणीद्धारा विभूषित २०७७) on the occasion of the Constitution Day of the Government of Nepal 2079 Office of the President of Nepal (राष्ट्रपतिको कार्यालय), Right Honourable Mr. Ram Chandra Poudel 2023 [21]
5. Best Taekwondo Athlete Award 2024 Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) 2024 [22][23]
6. NOC Best Para Athlete Award 2024 Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) 2024 [24]
7. Best Para Athlete of NSJF Bajaj Pulsar Sports Award 2080 Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) 2024 [25]


References

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  1. ^ "GOVERDHAN Palesha". Olympics. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Taekwondo – Women K44 -58kg – Entry List by Event" (PDF). Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 31 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  4. ^ Nelsen, Matt (31 August 2024). "Palesha Goverdhan wins historic medal for Nepal at Paris 2024 Paralympics". Olympics. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  5. ^ Ghimire, Anish (1 April 2024). "The girl who chose to kick back". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Certificates handed over to players". The Himalayan Times. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. ^ "पलेशा र लामा सम्मानित" [Palesha and Lama honoured]. ekantipur.com (in Nepali). 7 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Gobardhan wins bronze in Vietnam". The Himalayan Times. 26 May 2018.
  9. ^ Harle, Tom (4 September 2021). "Munro scoops Paralympics silver after just one year doing Taekwondo". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Goverdhan misses Paralympic bronze". KathmanduPost.com. 4 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Goverdhan claims gold". The Himalayan Times. 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Hangzhou Asian Para Games - 杭州第4届亚洲残疾人运动会信息发布系统". Hangzhou2022.com.cn. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  13. ^ "First medal for Nepal in Asian Para Games". NepalNews.com. 24 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan makes history as first Nepali para-athlete to qualify for Paralympics - OnlineKhabar English News". Online Khabar. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan takes Nepali sports to a new high". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan wins historic Paralympic bronze". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Government honours Paralympic bronze medallist Palesha Goverdhan with Rs6.5 million cash prize". The Kathmandu Post. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan | sportsfornepal".
  19. ^ "किरण र पलेशा वर्ष उत्कृष्ट खेलाडी".
  20. ^ "NSJF Pulsar Sports Award: Anjan awarded Best Sportsperson".
  21. ^ [httpshttps://www.setopati.com/sports/sports-activity/338286 httpshttps://www.setopati.com/sports/sports-activity/338286]. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ "Palesa and Kabiraj are the best of the year". nepalnews.com. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Paralympian Palesha, Kabiraj 2080's best taekwondo practitioner, instructor". risingnepaldaily.com. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Nepal Olympic Committee".
  25. ^ "Which players got the Pulsar Sports Award?".
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