Prize money deposited, but Asian Games bronze medalist Tenzing Sherpa voices dissatisfaction

Karate player Tenzing Sherpa, who won a bronze medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has expressed dissatisfaction over the prize money given by the government.

Under the National Sports Development Regulations, the government deposited Rs 650,000 into his bank account.

According to Sherpa, there is a provision under which athletes who go through an international qualification stage receive the full amount, while those who participate without going through qualification receive only half.

He argued that this provision is unjust for athletes in sports that do not have an international qualifying competition at all.

He questioned why there should be different treatment within the same competition, noting that he had represented the country after going through a qualification process held within Nepal itself.

He said that after tax deductions, he received only half of the amount he should have gotten.

He also asked on social media why he had not been told beforehand that he was being considered a 'B-grade athlete.'

Sherpa won the medal in the men's above-84kg weight category.

His head coach, Kushal Shrestha, received Rs 130,000, and manager Yubraj Lama received Rs 65,000.

Shrestha thanked the government for depositing the amount quickly.

Prize money has also been deposited into the accounts of players, coaches and the manager of the women's kabaddi team, which won bronze.