Gurkha officer cadets at Sandhurst race with 15kg dokos to raise money for Nepal flood relief

Officer cadets and staff at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst took part in a 3km charity doko race on 15 October, raising funds that include support for the Nepal Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, according to an account published on 20 October by Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas.

The event was organised by 23 Platoon, Burma Company, and coordinated by Officer Cadets Joseph Wilson, Prasant Tamang and Benjamin Ramus, with Captain Thomas Gordon as planning officer. Participants ran heats carrying 15kg dokos, the traditional Nepali carrying basket, after a briefing on the race's purpose and its role in Gurkha recruit selection in Nepal. A final race pitted the officer cadets against a team from Gurkha Company (Sittang). Brigadier Nick Wight-Boycott OBE, Commander of the Academy, presented the prizes. A cultural stand explained Gurkha customs, and Gurkha Company served Nepalese food afterwards.

Beneficiaries named are the Nepal Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, the Army Benevolent Fund, the RMAS Trust and the Gurkha Welfare Trust. The account gives no total raised. It says the aim was "to raise awareness of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nepal".

The race follows a separate flood appeal launched on 7 October by Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas, which says funds will be passed to the same Nepal relief fund. Both accounts come from the organisation itself and have not been independently verified.