KATHMANDU: Tourism entrepreneur Phurba Gyalje Sherpa has been elected as the new President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), securing victory over his rival Kul Bahadur Gurung by a margin of 54 votes. 

Nepal’s only alpine club, the NMA, held its much-anticipated election this week, with Sherpa’s panel—popularly known as Team Furba Gyalje—winning most of the key positions.

According to the official tally, Sherpa received 342 votes against Gurung’s 288. While Gurung’s panel managed to secure the First Vice-President post, Sherpa’s team swept nearly all other major positions, with the Treasurer post ending in a tie.

Among the elected office bearers, Iswari Paudel won the position of Senior Vice President with 345 votes, while Rajendra Bahadur Lama secured the role of General Secretary with 318 votes.

The final vote counts for the key positions are as follows:

• President: Phur Gelje Sherpa (342) defeated Kul Bahadur Gurung (288)
• Senior Vice President: Iswari Paudel (345) defeated Tika Gurung (258)
• First Vice President: Mingma Gyabu Sherpa (359) defeated Kaji Sherpa (256)
• Second Vice President: Bodhraj Bhandari (368) defeated Dhan Bahadur Gurung (238)
• General Secretary: Rajendra Bahadur Lama (318) defeated Bimal Naharki (209) and Shiva Sapkota (68)
• Secretary: Chandan Thapa (358) defeated Ngima Diki Sherpa (244)
• Treasurer: Ngima Nurbu Sherpa (304) tied with Sumi Lama (304) — both will share the tenure.

In addition, 12 central members were elected, including Madhav Kumar Dhamala (278), Kedar Nyaupane (302), Thupden Sherpa (326), Mulal Gurung (351), and Nisha Bhote (307), among others.

About the new President: Phurba Gyalje Sherpa

Sherpa, originally from Sindhupalchowk, is the Managing Director of Himalayan Edge Adventure and has over 33 years of experience in tourism and mountaineering. A postgraduate in tourism, he is also the founder and current president of the Himalayan Tourism Development Society and a former NMA vice president.

His election manifesto emphasized three core areas:

Infrastructure Development – expanding facilities for trekking and mountaineering.

Collaboration – bringing together government, private sector, and local communities.

Sustainability – ensuring long-term, eco-friendly growth of the tourism sector.

Sherpa pledged to “work tirelessly for the betterment of Nepal’s mountaineering and tourism industry.”

About the new Senior Vice President: Ishwari Paudel

Paudel, Managing Director of Himalayan Guides Nepal Treks and Expedition, brings over 25 years of experience in the industry. Holding a master’s degree in tourism, he has served as President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), President of the Expedition Operators’ Association (EOA), and as Vice President of the Mountain Guides of Nepal (MGN).

Paudel has represented Nepal in multiple international forums across Asia-Pacific, advocating for stronger global promotion of Nepal’s adventure tourism. He expressed his commitment to leveraging his experience to help NMA strengthen its international presence.

With this election, Team Furba Gyalje has consolidated its leadership in NMA, signaling a new phase of policies and programs aimed at both strengthening Nepal’s position as a mountaineering hub and ensuring sustainable tourism development.