Kathmandu, Nepal, May 19, 2024: Santoo Shrestha, who made history by becoming the first Nepali table tennis player to qualify for the Olympics, was felicitated at a ceremony held at the Nepal Olympic Committee headquarters on Friday, May 17.
The President of the Nepal Olympic Committee, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Secretary General Nilendra Raj Shrestha and other senior officials of the NOC attended the ceremony.
President Shrestha urged Santoo to stay disciplined and work hard in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Santoo qualified for the men’s singles table tennis competition at the Paris Olympics by defeating compatriot Samyog Kapali, 3-2, in the final of the South Asian Olympics Qualification tournament in Kathmandu last week.
He will be the third Nepali athlete to qualify for the Olympics after Sangina Baidhya (Athens 2004) and Deepak Bista (Beijing 2008). Baidhya and Bista were both taekwondo athletes.
Nepal will also be represented in Paris by track and field athlete Santoshi Shrestha and badminton player Prince Dahal who both received IOC invitations.
