Six Nepali Racers gear up for Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship in Sri Lanka

Kathmandu: While Hindus across Nepal and the world are celebrating the Bada Dashain festival, a team of six Nepali racers is representing the country at the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship 2025, currently underway in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Nepali team, comprising Ashish “Ronnie” Bharati, Rajkumar Karki, Bipashna Tamang, Jay Pratap Maskey, Rabin “Rehan” Sunwar, and Roshan Adhikari, reached Colombo on September 25, accompanied by team manager Ashish Rauniyar. Their participation is approved by the National Sports Council (NSC) and managed by the Nepal Automobiles Association (NASA Nepal).

On September 24, NASA Nepal President Dasharath Risal, Executive Director Govinda Bhattarai, and secretaries Santosh Nyaupane and Diprash Shakya, among other officials, bid them farewell from Kathmandu.

Noting that Nepali motorsports is now making strides at the Asian level, NASA Nepal President Risal expressed pride while bidding farewell to the athletes. Athletes, in turn, credited NASA Nepal for elevating the standard of Nepali motorsports in recent years.

Member Secretary of the NSC, Tanka Lal Ghising, highlighted motorsports as one of the most active and growing sports federations under the Council, also praising its contribution to road safety and adventure tourism.

National Sports Council Member Secretary Ghising said, 'Among dozens of sports federations under the Council in the past decade, motorsports has been successful in establishing itself and becoming active across all sectors.' Ghising also noted that NASA Nepal’s involvement in motorsports and motorcycling—extending from marine sports to drone racing—has been highly commendable, particularly for its role in promoting adventure tourism and road safety.

More than 210 drivers from 25 countries are competing in the FIA-recognized event, which features Auto Gymkhana, Cross Car, Autocross, and E-Sports. The championship runs through September 28 at the Sri Lanka Karting Circuit in Colombo.

Nepali athletes are competing across various categories in the championship. Ashish “Ronnie” Bharati (31 years old), from Lalitpur, is Nepal’s top four-wheel racer. He previously competed in the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship in Malaysia. He has also participated in international Auto Gymkhana competitions held in India and Thailand (2018), Indonesia (2019), and Malaysia (2023). At the national level, he has won titles at Auto Gymkhana Chitwan 2023, Time Attack Challenge 2022, National Autocross 2024, and the Mount Everest Motorsports Festival 2025. 

Similarly, Rajkumar Karki (28) from Nuwakot is a celebrated Nepali bike racer with over a decade in the sport. A prominent two-wheel racer, he has secured podium finishes more than ten times, setting a national record. He has competed in several international events, but this is his first international participation in four-wheel racing.

Bipashna Tamang (27) from Changunarayan, Bhaktapur, entered motorsports through event hosting. The Bagmati Auto Gymkhana Championship, held some time ago, was her first national-level event, where she placed second. Her debut has raised expectations for even stronger performances in the future.

Likewise, Jay Pratap Maskey (29) from Boudha, Kathmandu, is primarily a sim-racing athlete. He represented Nepal as the sole participant at the Olympic E-Sports Series 2023 in Singapore. In Colombo, he is competing in the autocross format of Cross Car racing. He believes Nepali athletes have strong prospects in this relatively new global event. He also runs a sim-racing business in Nepal and aims to pursue international-level training, become a pro driver, and later a trainer.

Rabin “Rehan” Sunwar (27) from Budhanilkantha began his motorsports journey at the 2022 Time Attack Challenge in Mulpani. He finished fourth in the 2024 Autocross in Chandragiri and has won titles in other events as well. Having been passionate about racing from a young age, he is now set to participate in his first international event and is very excited about it.

Roshan Adhikari (25) from Kaski began his motorsports journey in 2018 with Formula Ford racing in Coimbatore, India. Alongside track racing, he developed an interest in esports and has competed in local events in Australia since 2022. As an official member of the Sydney Motorsport Club, he has grown closer to the international motorsports community. For the first time, he is participating in an official event like the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship and views the Sri Lankan event as a major career opportunity. Currently based in Australia, Roshan has been performing well in E-Sports competitions and is expected to pose a strong challenge to international competitors arriving in Sri Lanka.

This is the second edition of the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship, which was first held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit in 2023.

In Nepal, motorsports is gaining popularity, with Auto Gymkhana, Autocross, and Karting events drawing interest alongside the already popular motorcycle racing scene.