Asian Games prize cut draws Karate backlash

By Bibek Shrestha,Kathmandu, Oct. 16: The government awarded prize money to the athletes, coaches and managers who won medals at the 20th Asian Games. 

In accordance with the Sports Development Regulations, the government deposited the prize money into the accounts of the medal-winning karateka Tenzing Sherpa and the women's kabaddi team, as well as their respective coaches and managers. 

The Council of Ministers had previously decided on October 9 to award prizes to the medal-winning athletes. Accordingly, Tenzing received Rs. 650,000, head coach Kushal Shrestha received Rs. 130,000, and manager Yuvraj Lama received Rs. 65,000. 

Similarly, each player on the kabaddi team received Rs. 195,000; head coach Parbati Rai received Rs. 130,000; and assistant coach Lok Bahadur Bista and manager Sharad Darshanadhari each received Rs. 65,000. 

While the swift transfer of cash prizes into the accounts of the 20th Asian Games medalists has earned praise for government efficiency, a deep-seated controversy over the underlying reward criteria has exposed systemic fractures within Nepal’s sports governance.

At the centre of the dispute is a newly revised directive that slashes cash rewards by 50 percent for athletes competing in sports that do not feature international qualification tournaments. 

The policy shift has drawn sharp criticism from sports administrators and national athletes, who label the provision an arbitrary degradation of podium achievements.

Under the amended working procedure, athletes who secure medals after passing through international qualifiers receive full cash incentives (Rs. 1.3 million), while those winning medals in disciplines without an international qualifier framework receive only half.

For bronze medalist Tenzing Sherpa, who brought glory to Nepal in karate and received Rs. 650,000, the policy translates into a stark reality. Despite completing rigorous domestic selection trials and earning a legitimate podium finish under the national flag, his reward was reduced by half prior to tax deductions.