SATV, Kathmandu, April. 08 - Historic medal-winning karate player Arika Gurung will compete in the WKF Karate 1 Premier League to be held in Leshan, China. A three-member Nepali team, including Gurung, will depart for China on Wednesday.
The League runs from 10 to 12 April, with Gurung set to represent Nepal in the women’s over-68kg weight category.
Earlier in January, she won a historic silver medal at the Premier League event held in Istanbul, Turkey. The Premier League is staged four times a year.
According to national team coach Kushal Shrestha, Gurung is currently ranked 11th in the world. Based on her achievements in 2026 she is ranked fourth
The three-member Nepali delegation includes Shrestha as coach and Rabi Maharjan as manager. The team was formally bid farewell on Tuesday by Ramcharitra Mehta, Member-Secretary of the National Sports Council, and Dawa Gurung, General Secretary of the Nepal Karate Federation.
Speaking at the farewell programme, Member-Secretary Mehta said he was working to ensure athletes receive the cash rewards they have not yet been granted for winning medals in international competitions.
“I have taken serious steps with the concerned authorities to secure the cash prizes that athletes deserve for their medals."
"Among the 18 urgent tasks presented at the minister’s welcome programme, I placed athletes’ rewards at the top. I have also personally discussed with the minister to ensure these prizes are delivered within this financial year, and the minister is positive about it,” Mehta said.
Shureido sponsors Gurung
Japanese karate equipment manufacturer Shureido has formally announced its sponsorship of to Gurung on Tuesday.
She becomes the first Nepali athlete to receive such support from the company. According to national team head coach Kushal Shrestha, Gurung has been provided with four sets of karate uniforms, one bag, four shin guards, four belts, four pairs of gloves and five T-shirts.
The agreement will remain in place for two years. Coach Shrestha said that international backing of this kind would lift athletes’ morale and positively influence their performance.
He described the sponsorship by a globally recognised brand as a significant milestone for Nepal’s karate sector, expressing confidence that it would encourage further international interest in Nepali players. Coach Shrestha himself initiated the approach to secure the sponsorship.
