Nepal’s first Paralympic medallist returns home to hero’s welcome
Al Jazeera
Cheering crowds greet taekwondo player Palesha Goverdhan, whose podium finish brought Nepal its first Paralympic medal.
Nepal gave its first Paralympic medallist a hero’s welcome as cheering crowds turned out for taekwondo player Palesha Goverdhan’s return home from Paris.
“I kept my promise, I brought a medal back home. This achievement is not just for me, but for everyone,” Goverdhan, 21, who won bronze at the 2024 Paralympic Games, said in a speech after her arrival on Wednesday.
It was the first podium finish at the Paralympics for the Himalayan nation, which has never won a medal at the Olympics.
Goverdhan said it had been a “long wait” for Nepal to win a medal.
“It was thought to be impossible … I believe that now young taekwondo players and other players can see it is possible,” she said.
