In Lalitpur, Nepal, para powerlifters Pawan Gharti Magar and Rajani Rai are preparing for the 5th Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, spending their own money on travel, food and sports equipment. Both received wild cards to compete in bench press events scheduled to begin on October 18, Kathmandu Post reports.
Magar travels about 20 kilometres every day from Tokha to the Himalayan Fitness and Gym in Satdobato. Rai, who uses a wheelchair due to an L5-level spinal injury, travels about 15 kilometres there from Jorpati. The gym has the country’s only specialized para powerlifting bench, so the athletes train in turns.
Barriers to training
The gym does not charge the athletes for use, but they cover other expenses themselves. Magar arrives on an electric bicycle at seven in the morning, trains until 8:30, and then works for an employment company, where he conducts briefings for labour migrants. Rai works online for CloudFactory and combines work with training.
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Rai needs the help of coach Kelvin Maharjan to enter the gym: there is a raised concrete threshold at the entrance, which is an obstacle for a wheelchair user. According to the athletes, they continue training in pursuit of medals for Nepal despite the lack of consistent state support.
Results and need for support
In June, Magar won his under-49 kg weight category at the Kathmandu Valley para powerlifting championship and set a personal record of 90 kg. His previous international debut came at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in October 2023, where he lifted 76 kg. Rai’s personal record is 40 kg; she has competed in three national tournaments and won each of them.
In August, Magar, along with other para athletes and representatives of sports associations, appealed to Nepal’s National Sports Council, demanding that it organize a closed training camp. According to the publication, about a month after the meeting, the athletes were still training without state support. Magar also said that athletes would likely have to pay part of their airfare to Japan themselves.
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