Palesha Goverdhan

Nepalese parataekwondo practitioner (born 2003)

  • Pradeep Goverdhan (father)
  • Manita Shrestha Goverdhan (mother)
SportCountryNepalSportPara TaekwondoDisability classK44Coached byKabiraj Negi Lama
Medal record
Women's Para Taekwondo
Representing  Nepal
2024 Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 57 kg
Asian Para Taekwondo Championships
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
2024 Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament (Asian Qualification Tournament For Paris 2024 Paralympic Games)
Gold medal – first place 2024 Tai'an, China -57 kg

Palesha Goverdhan (Nepali: पलेशा गोवर्धन, born 25 July 2003 in Kathmandu) is a Nepali parataekwondo practitioner. She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the 58 kg category.[1][2] She went on to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, becoming the first-ever Nepali athlete to win a medal at the Paralympic Games.

She won a historic bronze medal for Nepal at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics, which is considered one of the greatest achievements in Nepali sports.[3]

Career

Palesha Goverdhan has been training with her coach, Kabiraj Negi Lama, in the Nepal Taekwondo Association since 2016.[4][5]

Goverdhan lost 21–8 to Beth Munro from the United Kingdom at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Munro would go on to win the silver medal.[6] Goverdhan won repechage matches against Brianna Salinaro of the USA and Marija Mičev of Serbia, but lost to China's Li Yujie. She became the first Nepali athlete to win two fights in the Paralympic Games.[7]

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.[8] She also won the bronze medal in the 4th Asian Para Taekwondo Championship held in 2018 in Vietnam.[9]

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.[10][11]

Goverdhan was the third Nepali athlete to qualify for the Paralympic Games,[12][13] and she became the first athlete from Nepal to win a medal at the games in 2024.[14][15]

Honors and Awards

S.N Honors and Awards By Year
1. 15th NNIPA Sports Award 2077 Nepal National and International Players Association (NNIPA) 2021
2. Best Player Award of the Year 2022 National Sports Council (Nepal) 2022
3. Best Para Athlete of NSJF Bajaj Pulsar Sports Award 2078 Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) 2023
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
5. Best Taekwondo Athlete Award 2024 Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) 2024
6. NOC Best Para Athlete Award 2024 Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) 2024

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan takes Nepali sports to a new high".
  4. ^ "Certificates handed over to players". The Himalayan Times. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  5. ^ "पलेशा र लामा सम्मानित" [Honored Palesha and Lama]. ekantipur.com (in Nepali). 7 September 2021.
  6. ^ Harle, Tom (4 September 2021). "Munro scoops Paralympics silver after just one year doing Taekwondo". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Goverdhan misses Paralympic bronze". KathmanduPost.com. 4 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Goverdhan claims gold". The Himalayan Times. 6 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Gobardhan wins bronze in Vietnam". The Himalayan Times. 26 May 2018.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "First medal for Nepal in Asian Para Games". NepalNews.com. 24 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Nepal's Palesha Goverdhan qualifies for 2024 Paris Paralympics". kathmandupost.com. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan makes history as first Nepali para-athlete to qualify for Paralympics - OnlineKhabar English News". 17 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan takes Nepali sports to a new high". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Palesha Goverdhan wins historic Paralympic bronze". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.