Nepal's Ashish Bharati Wins FIA Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship in Colombo

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Ashish Bharati, popularly known as “Ronny”, has clinched first place at the FIA Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from September 26 to 28.

With this, Ashish has made history by becoming the first Nepali to qualify for 2nd place in APMC2025 Auto Gymkhana. This is the first time that a Nepali racer has bagged a gold medal at the Championship. 

Ashish (31 years old), from Lalitpur, is Nepal’s leading four-wheel racer and the country’s top contender at the FIA Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship in Colombo. He previously represented Nepal in the championship in Malaysia and has international Auto Gymkhana experience in India and Thailand (2018), Indonesia (2019), and Malaysia (2023).

At the national level, Bharati has dominated the motorsports scene with titles at Auto Gymkhana Chitwan 2023, Time Attack Challenge 2022, National Autocross 2024, and the Mount Everest Motorsports Festival 2025. His consistency and victories have established him as Nepal’s most decorated four-wheel racer.

Five other racers also represented Nepal in various categories. Veteran racer Rajkumar Karki, a record-holding two-wheel champion, made his international four-wheel debut. Rising star Bipashna Tamang, runner-up at the Bagmati Auto Gymkhana Championship, represented Nepali women in motorsport. Sim-racing specialist Jay Pratap Maskey, who competed at the Olympic E-Sports Series 2023, took part in the Cross Car category. Rabin “Rehan” Sunwar, fourth-placed in the 2024 Autocross Chandragiri, entered his first international event. Likewise, Roshan Adhikari, who began with Formula Ford racing in India in 2018, made his Asia-Pacific debut from the Sydney Motorsport Club.

The event featured 28 competitors from 14 countries, competing in the Auto Gymkhana category. Ashish secured the top spot, while participants from Chinese Taipei and the Philippines finished second and third, respectively.

This victory marks a historic achievement for Nepal in international motorsport, showcasing the country’s growing presence in the regional racing arena.

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.