The 20th Asian Games was formally inaugurated on Saturday in Nagoya/Aichi, Japan. Running until October 4, the Games have brought together nearly 11,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries, including Olympic and world champions. For Nepal, the event carries particular significance as the country continues its long search for an Asian Games gold medal. Nepal’s Tenzing Sherpa won bronze in karate on Wednesday, giving the country its first medal of the Games. It is an encouraging start. Yet after nearly seven decades of participation, Nepal has still not won a gold medal or reached double digits in its overall medal tally. Its Asian Games record stands at 26 medals—three silver and 23 bronze. Nepal has participated in the Games since 1951 and won its first medal in taekwondo at the 1986 Seoul Games. Since then, taekwondo, karate and boxing have produced occasional successes. Karate has been particularly important in recent editions, including at the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta/Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games.
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But the question remains: why has Nepal failed to turn these successes into gold? The answer cannot be reduced to athletes’ individual efforts. Sustained institutional development, quality training, international exposure, qualified coaches and adequate facilities are equally important. Athletes can work hard and aspire to win, but medals at the highest level require long-term preparation and investment. Under Mission 2026, the National Sports Council has pursued extended preparation, with Nepal targeting a double-digit medal haul and its first gold. The target reflects greater preparation and international exposure, but achieving it will depend on the quality of training and the athletes’ ability to compete against stronger opponents. Individual talent can create opportunities, but results also depend on strategy, team preparation and competition experience. Karate athlete Erika Gurung, a silver medallist at the previous Asian Games, has given Nepali fans reason for optimism. Still, the country’s gold-medal hopes should not rest on one athlete or one sport.
Taekwondo illustrates the importance of sustained investment. Once Nepal’s most successful sport, it has struggled in recent Asian Games and failed to qualify through the regular competitive process this time, with athletes participating on wild cards. Nepal is also looking to boxing, kabaddi, wushu and judo for medals. Nepal faces formidable competition from sporting powers such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Iran and Kazakhstan. Against such opposition, success should not be judged only by medal numbers. Improvements in performance, development of new talent and stronger sporting institutions are equally important. Nepal has sent 135 athletes across 21 sports. But participation in a major event should be viewed as part of a much longer process. Talent identification, regular training, qualified coaching, nutrition, athlete welfare and international competition must receive sustained attention—not just in the months before the Asian Games. Nepal’s gold-medal drought will not end through hope alone. It will require a long-term sporting strategy, consistent investment and institutions capable of turning athletic talent into sustained international success.
