Torch relay of South Asian Games begins

KATHMANDU: The torch relay of the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) commenced today from Swoyambhu.

National Sports Council’s member secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal lit the torch amidst a program at Swoyambhu and handed it to the team that would carry the torch.

The torch relay will run till the ninth day, carrying the torch to several cities of the country and taking it around the Kathmandu.

There is a schedule to taking the torch to major cities of all seven states. It will be carried to Biratnagar, the capital of State 1 today with the message of the significance of SAG remaining as the most prestigious sports tournament in South Asia.

It will be taken to Janakpur of State 2 tomorrow then Hetauda and Chitwan of State 3 followed by Lumbini and Butwal of State 5.

The torch will be seen in Surkhet of Karnali State and Nepagunj of State 5 on the fifth day of its commencement and Dhangadhi of Far West State on the sixth day followed by Pokhara, the capital of Gandaki State on the seventh day. It will be carried around the Pokhara city on the eighth day and will be brought back to the central capital the same day.

On ninth day, the torch will be taken around the Kathmandu city before carrying it to the Tripureshowor-based Dashrath Stadium for lighting the SAG lamp.

Taekwondo’s Deepak Bista, swimmer Nayana Shakya, boxer Umesh Maskey, Judo’s Debu Thapa, Shooting’s Tikaram Shrestha, Athletics’ Baikuntha Manandhar, Rajendra Bhandari, Jeet Bahadur KC, Gyan Bahadur Bohara, Raj Kumari Pandey, Kanchhimaya Koju and Mukundahari Shrestha and Karate’s Deepak Shrestha are in the team.

The 13th SAG is taking place in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur from December 1-10.