- Mukesh Bahadur Pal set a new Nepali record in the men’s 5,000m at the 20th Asian Games, finishing in 14:03.61.
- Pal broke Rajendra Bhandari’s 19-year-old record set at the 2004 Athens Olympics by 1.28 seconds.
- Competing against a strong international field, Pal finished ninth out of 18 runners at the continental event.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepali runner Mukesh Bahadur Pal set a new national record in the men’s 5,000-meter race at the 20th Asian Games, finishing in 14 minutes and 03.61 seconds.
Pal broke the previous mark of 14:04.89 set by Rajendra Bhandari at the 2004 Athens Olympics, improving it by 1.28 seconds.
According to the National Sports Council (NSC), Pal finished ninth among 18 runners in the race. He competed against athletes from several Asian countries in a strong international field.
Pal’s performance came nearly two decades after Bhandari established the previous national mark in Athens. The new time puts Pal at the top of Nepal’s 5,000-meter record list.
Although he finished outside the medal positions, Pal’s ninth-place finish was accompanied by a new national record for Nepal at the continental event.
His performance adds a new mark to Nepal’s athletics record book and ends Bhandari’s long-standing hold on the men’s 5,000-meter national record.
