Swimmers Arya Maharjan and Abhiv Pradhan carried Nepal’s national flag during the march past at the opening ceremony of the Dakar Youth Olympics in Dakar, leading the Nepali contingent at the event. The honour followed the pair’s recent appearances for Nepal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Nepal’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony
Maharjan and Pradhan were chosen to lead Nepal’s contingent during the ceremony, where athletes and teams took part in the march past. Carrying the national flag placed the two swimmers at the front of the Nepali delegation as it appeared at the opening of the Youth Olympics.
The selection gave both athletes a prominent role in Nepal’s presence at the international event. Their appointment as flag-bearers was a distinct honour within the contingent, recognising them as the representatives who would lead Nepal during the ceremony.
The opening ceremony marked the public start of Nepal’s participation in the Dakar Youth Olympics. For the athletes and officials accompanying the team, the march past provided a moment to appear together under the national flag before the competition.
Both swimmers recently represented Nepal in Asia
The flag-bearing role came after Maharjan and Pradhan had represented Nepal at the recently concluded Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Their participation in that event preceded their appearance at the Youth Olympics, giving the pair experience competing for Nepal at major international multi-sport events.
The two athletes’ involvement in both competitions connects Nepal’s participation across the two events. At Dakar, their role extended beyond competing: they were entrusted with leading the Nepali contingent at the opening ceremony. The available information does not detail their results or events at either competition, but confirms their representation of Nepal at the Asian Games and their ceremonial role at Dakar.
A prominent role for the Nepali contingent
Flag-bearers are the athletes who lead their national delegations during an opening ceremony march past. For Nepal, Maharjan and Pradhan carried that responsibility together, representing the country as the contingent entered the ceremony. Their selection made the swimmers the visible leaders of the Nepali team at the event’s opening.
The announcement also highlights the place of swimmers in Nepal’s delegation. Maharjan and Pradhan’s recent international appearances and their selection for the ceremony put them at the centre of the country’s opening-day presence in Dakar. No further details about the size or full composition of Nepal’s contingent were provided.
With the ceremony complete, the pair’s role as flag-bearers stands as a key moment in Nepal’s participation at the Youth Olympics. Their recent appearance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and their joint honour in Dakar form the main milestones reported about the two swimmers’ international representation.
