Kathmandu: Sagendra Singh of Divine Fitness was crowned Mr Kathmandu at the 6th Mr Kathmandu Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship–2083, while 13th South Asian Games wushu gold medalist Juni Rai claimed gold in women’s physique on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Sagendra, who hails from Kathmandu, won the 80kg category and the overall title. A gold medalist at the South Asian Bodybuilding Championships held a couple of months earlier in Bhutan, Sagendra has been active in the fitness sector for almost two decades.

“However, I had been training in a professional setup for one and a half years. I am obviously happy with what I have achieved. It is the outcome of years of hardship,” said Sagendra, the father of a 21-month-old daughter Yupu.

Sagendra won a purse of Rs500,000 for being crowned Mr Kathmandu, in addition to the prize money of Rs40,000 for winning the 80kg category. He is also gearing up for the Asian Bodybuilding Championships scheduled to take place in Thailand from September 22 to 28.

Juni, who won the 56kg sanda gold medal in wushu at the 13th SAG, secured top honors in women’s physique, finishing ahead of Srijana Ghising and Shanta Palikhel, who finished third.

Also the coach of the Nepal Police Club wushu team and an international wushu judge, the 35-year-old Juni said: “My hard work paid off. I am always grateful to my coach Rujesh Shahi. I am also thankful to my department, Nepal Police and my husband, who supported me through thick and thin.”

Rai, who also represented Divine Fitness, retired from her active wushu career four years ago.

Mahendra Bahadur Thapa Magar won gold in the 55kg category, Sujan Thapa in the 60kg, Surab Thapa in the 65kg, Nabin Shrestha in the 70kg, Sagar Shrestha in the 75kg and Lalit Dhimal in the above-80kg category.

Alongside men’s bodybuilding, the event also featured competitions in men’s sports physique, men’s athletic physique, women’s athletic physique, women’s bodybuilding, junior and masters categories.

Gyaneshwor Chaudhary won the under-170cm category in men’s sports physique, while Ashim Singh Thapa took the title in the over-170cm category. Suman Rai won the under-170cm category in men’s athletic physique, while Shankar Gurung emerged victorious in the over-170cm category.

Ripu Gharti won the women’s bodybuilding title.

In the junior category, Sarbesh Sunar finished first, Bibas Puri second and Mukesh Malik third. In the masters category, Ramesh Adhikari secured first place, Dipak Kumar Timilsina finished second and Navaraj Dumre third.

The winners, runners-up and third-place finishers in the men’s bodybuilding weight categories received prize money of Rs40,000, Rs20,000 and Rs10,000, respectively. Separate prize amounts were also allocated for men’s sports physique, men’s athletic physique, women’s athletic physique, women’s bodybuilding, junior and masters categories.

Bodybuilders from Kathmandu, Jhapa, Morang, Pokhara, Chitwan, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Itahari, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Kanchanpur, Kailali, Tanahun, Kavre, Parsa, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur participated in the event.

The event was organised by the Kathmandu Bodybuilding and Fitness Association.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol and Rajani Shrestha, a member of the House of Representatives, among others, distributed the prizes.