Pulsar extends sponsorship deal for five-year

Kathmandu: NSJF Pulsar Sports Award will be held outside the capital for the first time with Pokhara announced as the host city for the 22nd edition. The event is scheduled to take place on September 14.

Making the announcement at a press conference on Friday, the organisers Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) said the move aims to broaden the event’s reach across the country and reflects the growing landscape of Nepali sports.

During the same event, NSJF also renewed its long-standing sponsorship agreement with the Golchha Group for another five years. NSJF President Niranjan Adhikari and Golchha Group Director Abhimanyu Golchha signed the new deal on behalf of their respective organisations.

Golchha Group has been the title sponsor of the award for the past 17 years. Under the renewed agreement, the Group will contribute sponsorship worth Rs4 million, which includes five Pulsar motorcycles in addition to cash.

Expressing gratitude for the continued partnership, NSJF President Adhikari said, “We had been planning to take the event outside Kathmandu for the past few years. After considering various cities, we are delighted to finally bring the award ceremony to Pokhara.”

NSJF General Secretary Anjan Khadka announced that awards will be presented in nine different categories, including male, female, youth, coach of the year, and the people’s choice award. Additional honors will include the para athlete award, special award, lifetime achievement award, team of the year, and the Asian sports journalist award which will be presented to an international sports journalist.

Winners of the male, female, youth, coach, and people’s choice categories will each receive a Pulsar motorcycle, while the recipients of the special, lifetime achievement, team of the year and para athlete awards will receive Rs100,000 each.

The five nominees in each of the people’s choice, male, female, youth and coach categories will be announced in the coming days. The people’s choice winner will be determined by voting while winners in the other categories will be selected by a NSJF selection committee.

Golchha Group Director Abhimanyu Golchha described the partnership with NSJF as one of the most enduring sponsorships in Nepal. “This long-term collaboration reflects mutual trust and commitment. We’re proud to continue supporting NSJF and Nepali sports,” he said.

He also highlighted the Group’s involvement in football leagues, cricket, and grassroots-level sports initiatives across the country.

Last year’s winners included cricketer Rohit Paudel (male), karateka Arika Gurung (female), weightlifter Hemanta Pal (youth), coach Kushal Shrestha (coach), and volleyball player Kabita Bhatta (people’s choice). Other honorees were volleyball coach Kumar Rai (special award), para-taekwondo athlete Palesa Goverdan (para athlete award), cricket administrator Binay Raj Pandey (lifetime achievement), the women’s kabaddi team (team of the year), and South Korean sports journalist Hee Dong Jung (Asian Sports Journalist Award).