By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu (HamroKhelkud) – Nepal’s 19-year-old badminton sensation Prince Dahal has tasted a heavy defeat in his first group encounter at the Paris Olympics 2024. Prince lost against world number two and reigning Olympics champion Viktor Axelsen in straight sets.
Viktor proved too good for Prince as he raced past Prince 21-8 and 21-6.
Earlier today, Nepal’s table tennis star Santoo Shrestha was eliminated after losing in straight sets to Senegalese player Ibrahima Diaw. Despite a strong performance in the first set, Santoo lost 12-10. He struggled in the subsequent sets, losing 11-3, 11-4, and 11-5.
Meanwhile, Prince, a former junior world number one , still has two matches remaining. He will compete against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen, ranked 43rd, and Israel’s Misha Zilberman, ranked 59th. Prince himself is ranked 172nd in the world.
The 19-year-old Prince is also the first Nepalese athlete to compete in badminton at the Olympics, having been selected through the universality quota.
Nepal’s Olympic team comprises 27 members, including seven athletes across six sports. Six athletes include Manita Shrestha Pradhan (judo), Santoshi Shrestha (athletics), Alex Shah and Duwana Lama (swimming), and Sushmita Nepal (shooting) along with Prince and Santoo.
