Manita Chitrakar and Mani Kumar Lama both lost their respective table tennis matches on Saturday. Female player Chitrakar ended her campaign losing both her league round matches. Chitrakar was defeated by Sri Lanka´s Ruvani Sankalpana 11-9, 11-2, 11-3 in the first match held at the Wutaishan Gymnasium.
Following her defeats Chitrakar said she had not made adequate preparation for the event. "The first set was competitive but the opponent changed her technique in the second set. I gave my best but we are technically poor," opined Chitrakar, who was defeated 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 in the second match by Japan´s Morita Anake.
Chitrakar´s coach Dharma Man Bajracharya said Chitrakar failed to control the match technically in the second and third sets. [break]
In the men´s section, Mani Kumar Lama was defeated by Supanat Wisutmayathanok of Thailand. He lost the match 11-9, 11-5, 11-7. In another match he lost to an Indian player 3-1. After losing the first two sets 11-4, 11-4, Lama won the third set 11-9. However, the fourth set turned out to be the decider as he lost it 11-7.
As the National Olympic Committee of India is banned, India is competing in the event under the Olympic flag. Lama will play his last match against Jacolo Rayan of the Philippines on Sunday.
Lissanevitch loses in straight sets
Experienced female tennis player Aslesha Lissanevitch lost her first match against an Uzbekistan player on Saturday. Lissanevitch lost 6-0, 6-1 to Arena Folt at the court of China Tennis Academy. Lissanevitch had carried the national flag of Nepal in the march past during the inaugural ceremony on Friday.
Meanwhile, Nepali judoka Him Parwa Khatri received a bye in her first round match. Him Parwa and Phupu Lhamu Khatri are the two players representing Nepal in judo at the games.
´India to support Nepali table tennis´
Secretary of India Table Tennis Federation and Treasurer of Asian Table Tennis Union Dhanraj Chaudhary has assured of support for the development of table tennis in Nepal. Chaudhary suggested to Nepal´s table tennis coach Dharma Man Bajracharya to make Nepal´s table tennis association strong. "We are ready to provide necessary kits and training facility but the association should take initiatives for that," Chaudhary was quoted by Bajracharya as saying. Chaudhary, who watched Chitrakar´s match, described her as technically weak.
Pradhan in anti-doping panel
Nepal´s doctor Nabish Man Pradhan has been nominated in the Anti Doping Panel for the Second Asian Youth Games. Besides the representatives of host China, Pradhan has been nominated along with representatives of six other countries as a doping control officer. According to Nepal Olympic Committee General Secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Pradhan was nominated by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).
Lama invited to closing ceremony
National Sports Council (NSC) Member Secretary Yuvaraj Lama and Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Hari Prasad Nepal have been invited to attend the closing ceremony of the games. In a bid to ease the tension between the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) and NSC, Lama had earlier this week attended a function at NOC to bid farewell to the Nepali players before their departure to Nanjing. "We are optimistic that they will arrive in Nanjing for the closing ceremony," said NOC General Secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha.
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