Four years ago in 2020, judoka Manita Shrestha had a dream of participating in the Olympics. The Judo Association of Nepal recommended Shrestha’s name with top priority, but she lost the qualifying match, and later, Soniya Bhatta participated in the Olympics.
In 2022, Manita Shrestha received a scholarship from the Olympic Committee, which made her determined to seize the opportunity to participate in the Olympics this time.
On May 15, table tennis player Syantu Shrestha qualified for the Paris Olympics. Afterwards, the list of other players who qualified for the wild card was also announced. But Shrestha’s name was not announced.
That unexpected call
Even after June 20, Shrestha received no information from the Nepal Olympic Committee. She checked her points, which were 208, and compared them with others who had qualified through the wildcard. This gave her a sense of relief. However, she was not getting any information. She thought she might not make it this time at some point either.
On June 26, she received a call from the Olympic Committee.
“You have been selected for the Olympics,” she heard on the phone.
“For some time, I couldn’t believe it,” recalls Shrestha. “As the call came unexpectedly, I was shocked.”
Shrestha, who has competed in the world championship five times, including both senior and junior categories, will be playing in the under 57 kg category in the Olympics.
“Earlier, despite the lack of facilities, our seniors reached international competitions. I have to do even better,” says Manita Shrestha to Onlinekhabar.
Galore of achievements
Surya Narayan Shrestha, her coach from the initial days, competed in the 1998 South Asian Championship, the 1990 Asian Games, and the World Championship but could not participate in the Olympics. Later, he began to voluntarily coach at the Prisoners Assistance Mission (PAM). There, he not only taught judo but also inspired many individuals to aspire for the Olympics. He showed Shrestha the dream of the Olympics.
When Shrestha first went to PAM, she recalls not knowing about the Olympics. Surya Narayan Shrestha told her, “You should play in the Olympics. I could not play, but you should.”
In 2011, Shrestha started to compete at the national level. The Judo for Peace South Asian Cadet tournament, held in Kathmandu for ages 15 to 18, became a milestone for her. She garnered significant attention after that tournament and began receiving international opportunities.
The next year, she participated in the Asian Cadet Judo Championship in Hong Kong. In 2014, she played in the 8th Asian Cadet Championship, which helped her gain additional international experience. In 2016, Shrestha won a silver medal in the 12th South Asian Games held in Shillong, India.
In 2017, during the Asian Judo Championship, she set a record in her weight category. Nepali women had not won a bout in the Asian Championship until she secured 50 points by beating Hong Kong, a significant achievement. In the same year, during the Asian Cadet Championship in the junior team event, she won against Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and India, earning a bronze medal.
In 2018, during the 19th Asian Games held in Indonesia, Manita Shrestha sustained an injury. After recovering in 2019, she played in the World Judo Championship. Her strong performance in the Grand Slam in Hong Kong in 2022 earned her a two-year scholarship from the Olympics, giving her additional global exposure. This year, she participated in the 2023 Asian Judo Championship.
Olympic with Olympian Coach
Shrestha credits the PAM, the Police Club, and the national team coach for significantly contributing to her Olympic dream. “Without the guidance and support from my gurus, I wouldn’t have made it to the Olympics,” says Shrestha.
Soon, she will become the sixth Nepali judoka to compete in the Olympics. “The Olympics for me will be a stage where I have to show all the 15 years of experience and knowledge,” she says. Coach Debu Thapa, an Olympian who competed in the 2008 Olympics in China, is currently coaching Shrestha. Training under an Olympian gives her extra energy.
“Very soon, I will also be called an Olympian,” Shrestha says excitedly. Thapa is enthusiastic about Shrestha’s participation in the Olympics. “I am hopeful that Shrestha will not disappoint me,” says Thapa.
According to Thapa, Shrestha has worked hard to overcome her weaknesses and he expects a strong performance from her. “Shrestha was having a problem with her rotation, but she has improved a lot in the last two months. She is good at defence and technically sound.”
The post Manita Shrestha and her Olympic dream appeared first on OnlineKhabar English News.
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