INCHEON , SEP 23 - Cricket and shooting saved some grace for Nepal on the fourth day of the 17th Asian Games here on Monday.
The women cricketer kept medal hopes alive by defeating Malaysia by 46 runs to book a quarter-final berth while shooter Sneha Rajya Laxmi Shah set a new national record in another disappointing day for the Nepali contingent.
Batting first, Nepal could only manage 88-3 in 20 overs and defended the meagre-looking total by dismissing Malaysia for 42 runs in 14.5 overs. Nepal will now take on Test nation Bangladesh in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Mamata Chaudhary top scored for Nepal with unbeaten 22 and Sita Rana Magar made 18 in a lowly Nepali total. But their bowlers did remarkable job by restricting Malaysia below 50 runs with Karuna Bhandari doing the maximum damage with the ball. Bhandari finished with 4-6 in 3.5 overs. Sonu Khadka, skipper Rubina Chhetri and Sarita Magar also shared a wicket each for Nepal.
Nepal’s hope of striking a medal in wushu ended after both Jharana Gurung and Chahana Bomjan crashed out of quarter-finals. The 2012 Asian Championship bronze medallist Gurung was a no match for Elah Mansorian-samiromi of Iran in the women’s below 52kg sansau. Gurung lost 2-0. Bomjan too lost in the below 60kg bout against Jennet Anajarova of Turkmenistan 2-0.
Among other wushu players Sunny Shrestha finish 11th in Taolo event won by Wan Di of China. In women’s Taiji Jian, Sabita Rai earned 7.84 to finish 11th out of 13 participants.
In 10m air rifle, shooter Shah earned 397.6 points to set a new national record. She surpassed the previous record of 388 points, jointly held by herself and Bhagwati Khatri. Fulmaya Kyapchhaki scored 393.7 points and Asmita Rai earned 381.2 points. Nepal came 14th in the 15-nation event. Swimmer Sofia Shah was eliminated from the women’s 100m freestyle heats. Sofia timed 1:0.29.
Nepal tasted bitter defeat in judo as well. Shree Ram Makaju went down to Ye Yang of Singapore from the first round of the below 90kg weight group. He was able to hold on for just a minute and six seconds. Sunita Bohara on whom medals hopes were pinned failed to make much of an impression in above 78kg weight group. She bowed out against Jarina Raifova of Tajikistan in just 29 seconds. Veteran weightlifter Kamal Bahadur Adhikari finished seventh in the men’s 69kg category and 13th overall. Adhikari lifted a total of 265kg — 115kg in snatch and 150kg in clean & jerk.