Former taekwondo fighter Deepak Bista will lead a 15-strong Committee as the Nepal Olympians Association is revived ©Nepal Olympic Committee

Former taekwondo fighter Deepak Bista has been elected President of the Nepal Olympians Association as the organisation is revived following a four-year hiatus.

The Nepal Olympians Association, organised by the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC), ended in 2017 after then-President Sunil Lal Joshi died.

It acts as a representative body for all Olympians in Nepal.

The NOC called for applications from Nepalese athletes that have appeared in a Summer or Winter Olympics in August 2020 with the hope of restarting the Association.

Bista, who was the Nepal flagbearer at the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony, was elected to lead a 15-strong committee.

 The committee includes vice presidents Prabin Tuladhar and Sangina Baidya and general secretary Rajendra Bhandari.

Bista carried the Nepal flag at the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony ©Getty Images
Bista carried the Nepal flag at the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony ©Getty Images

Bista won a bronze medal at the Doha 2006 Asian Games and has won four golds at the South Asian Games, a joint-record for the event.

NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha was in attendance at the election.

Shreshta called for future Olympic campaigns to be joint-organised by the NOC and Olympians Associations and lit a lantern to commence the ceremony.

Nepal has competed in 14 Olympic Games since its debut at Tokyo 1964 but has never won a medal.

The country has appeared at four Winter Olympics. 

Ninety-two athletes have competed for Nepal at an Olympics.