Sixth National Games
Far-western Region hosted the Sixth National Games from February 26 to March 4 in Dhangadhi and Mahendranagar. It was the first time the region had hosted the biggest national sporting event.
Central Region once again dominated the National Games, clinching 131 gold, 84 silver and 85 bronze medals to become the team champion for a record sixth time, leaving Nepal Police Club (NPC) and Armed Police Force (APF) far behind. NPC edged past APF to secure the second position with 54 golds, 45 silvers and 34 bronzes. APF had to settle for the third position with 46 golds, 41 silvers and 47 bronzes.
Mismanagement and under-preparation marred the event. Allegations of corruption also surfaced during the event.
London Olympics
Nepal Olympic Committee led by Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan and recognized by the International Olympic Committee courted controversy as it sent only five athletes -- Tilak Ram Tharu (athletics), Pramila Rijal (athletics), Prasiddha Jung Sah (swimming), Shreya Dhital (swimming) and Sneha Rajya Lami Rana (shooting) -- but around three dozens officials to London.
Meanwhile, National Sports Council Member Secretary Yuvaraj Lama fueled the controversy by saying that the state had not approved Nepal´s participation in the London Olympics.
All the participating Nepali athletes fared badly in the event. The only noteworthy performance was swimmer Shreya Dhital´s new national record.
London Paralympics
London Paralympics was also marred by controversy. One of the Nepali officials Man Bahadur Lopchan´s attempted suicide and his death in London during treatment overshadowed Nepal´s participation.
However, Nepali para athlete Bikram Bahadur Rana drew the attention of international media in London as the Nepal Army man was a victim of Maoist insurgency. Maiya Bisankhu was the other para-athlete to represent Nepal in London.
Judo
Nepali judo team won 10 gold medals and clinched the title of the second Judo for Peace South Asian Cadet Judo Championship held in Dhaka.
Altogether 20 of the 21 judokas from Nepal won medals in their respective weight categories in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Nepal judokas failed to win any medals in the Asian Judo Championship held in Uzbekistan in April.
Wushu
Wushu player Chahana Bomjan clinched bronze medal in the women´s 60 kg sansau event during the Fourth Junior World Wushu Championship held in Macau in August. Likewise, Jharana Gurung claimed bronze medal in the women´s 56 kg sansau event during the Eighth Asian Wushu Championship held in Vietnam in August. It was Nepal´s first medal in wushu in the Asian level in 18 years.
Bodybuilding
Sachit Pradhan clinched gold medal in men´s 60kg weight category during the Ninth South Asian Bodybuilding Championship held in India in November. Ram Bahadur Dahal also claimed silver medal in the tournament. Likewise, Sujan Lama secured bronze in the men´s 55kg weight category during the 46th Asian Bodybuilding Championship held in Guangzhou, China in August.
Karate
Karatekas Sunil Lama and Ganga Adhikari clinched gold medals in the 13th Asia Pacific Karate Championship held in Hong Kong in the first week of December. Likewise, Adhikari won gold medal in the Singapore Open Karate Championship held earlier this year.
Taekwondo
Ayasha Shakya put up an impressive show in the Third Asian Universiade Taekwondo Championship held in Malaysia in October and claimed silver medals.
Golf
Nepal organized the Faldo Series at the Gokarna Golf Resort and Sangya Ongdi Lama qualified for the grand finale of the Seventh Faldo Series Asia.
Nepal No 1 pro Shiva Ram Shrestha made the cut in the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), 2012 and secured full card for the next season. Another Nepali pro Toran Bahadur Shahi, who could not make the cut, also earned the full card from the qualifying school.
Swimming
Shailesh Rana, who clinched 10 gold medals in the Sixth National Games, and Shreya Dhital, who won eight gold medals in the same event, stole the limelight in the first half of the year. Young swimmer Shirish Gurung set six new national records in the later half of the year in different swimming competitions and became the new swimming sensation of the country.
Weightlifting
Nepal hosted the First South Asian Weightlifting Championship in Nepalgunj in March. Anil Malla and Tara Pun clinched three gold medals each in the championship. Pun also became the strongest women in the Sixth National Games. Kamal Bahadur Adhikari and Pun set three national records each in the Second National Grand Prix held in Kathmandu in October.
Athletics
Hiran Chaudhary of Nepal Police set a new national record of 32.29m in women´s discus-throw in the first week of December. Likewise, athletes Tilak Ram Tharu, Pramila Rijal, Sabita Chaudhary, Bishwa Rupa Budha and Siddhanta Adhikari stole the limelight in the Sixth National Games. Tharu and Rijal claimed four gold medals each while the others emerged as upcoming talents.
Plans and programs
National Sports Council (NSC) launched Mission SAG, a special training program for the South Asian Games, in 2012 though the host and the date of 12th South Asian Games are yet to be announced.
Likewise, NSC introduced a training course for school sports teachers and said it would focus on school and college level to develop sports from the grassroots level.
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