Palesha Goverdhan

Palesha Goverdhan (पलेशा गोवर्धन, born 25 July 2003 in Kathmandu) is a Nepalese parataekwondo practitioner. She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the 58 kg category.

Goverdhan secured a place in the 2024 Summer Paralympics Games and created history in Nepal by becoming the first Nepali Paralympian to qualify for the 2024 Summer Paralympics Games. Govardhan qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Game with a gold medal after defeating Iran's Leila Mirzaee 5-4 in the final of the Asian Qualification Tournament for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Tai'an, China, 15–17 March 2024. She is the first player to pass the selection stage in Nepali para sports. Also, she is the third Nepalese athlete to be qualified for Olympics or Paralympics in Nepali sports.

Career
Goverdhan lost 21–8 in a tough first round match to Beth Munro from the United Kingdom. Munro would go on to win the silver medal. Goverdhan won repechage match against Brianna Salinaro of USA by 10-0 points; against Marija Mičev  of Serbia by 23-15 points and finally lost to China's Li Yujie by 9-12 points in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics Games but she became the first Nepalese athlete to make history by winning two fights in the Paralympic Games.

She has been training with coach Kabiraj Negi Lama in Nepal Taekwondo Association since 2016.

She won the first historical gold medal for Nepal by defeating Ebrahimi Roza 6-0 points from Iran in the final of the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games.

Gobardhan won the bronze medal in the 4th Asian Para Taekwondo Championship in Vietnam held on 18 July 2018 at Hochiminh, Vietnam.

Govardhan has won bronze medal in 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China. She has become the first Nepali para athlete to win a medal in the Asian Para Games.