Festive Tournaments Enhance Community Bonds

During the festive periods of Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath, Nepal's national sports authorities generally pause organising national events, except for those on the international calendar. Despite this, the country remains lively with local sports activities throughout the month-long celebrations. 

Local clubs organise tournaments like the 'Bhale' game, where rooster are awarded as trophies, and the 'Khasi' game, where winners receive goats, which are popular across the country. These competitions typically feature sports including football, cricket, and volleyball, adding a dynamic and festive energy to the season. 

Moreover, such tournaments can be seen being organised across different age categories. Adolescents, teenagers, youths, adults, and veterans all have their own respective tournaments arranged during the festival period, especially just before Dashain to Tihar. Smaller the age group, less is the award and entry fee.

Uniting local community

The sports sector is believed to hold the power to foster unity among people. And the local tournaments like Bhale and Khasi aim to bring the community together during festivals. But the benefits of these ceremonies go beyond just community bonding. 

For children, these events are a welcome break from their school schedules. It is the only time when students get a month-long holiday to get refreshed by spending quality time with family and friends.

In the Tarai districts of Koshi, children get creative by hand-writing invitation letters on A4 paper, making photocopies, and delivering them to neighbouring villages to invite other children to participate. Since they don’t have sponsors, they set an entry fee for the tournament, with the total entry fees collected.

Additionally, they establish a height limit for participants. For example, in Morang district, the standard height limit is set at 5 feet 4 inches. Children use a bamboo stick with a nail at the height mark to ensure players meet the requirement before entering the ground. If possible, they seek support from local hardware shops for white powder (chuna) to mark the lines on the playing field. If possible, children find support from local hardware shops for white powder (chuna) and use it to mark the lines on the ground.

On the other hand, youths and veterans often find local businesses to sponsor their tournaments to some extent, along with setting entry fees. The seniors either play for the goat or for cash.

There are many individuals who return to their hometown during the festival, allowing the local neighbourhoods to create a good number of teams for the tournament. 

For the seniors, such tournaments bring back memories of how they organised smaller tournaments like what the contemporary children were doing. Nevertheless, the number of such local tournaments, especially by the children, has reduced of late.

Currently, the number of individuals returning to their hometown to celebrate the festivals is declining. The trend can be attributed to the increasing number of people moving abroad, making it harder for them to secure annual holidays during Nepal's festival season. Additionally, many families in the Kathmandu Valley have already settled there permanently, reducing the need to travel back to their ancestral homes. 

This year, natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and inundation have further disrupted the ability of local sports clubs to organise events. With highways blocked across the country, many Nepalis have opted not to return their hometowns due to the risks involved in travel. Despite these challenges, rural Nepal sees many individuals returing home during the festival season, which lays the foundation for local communities to set up and organise traditional sports events. 

Lack of playground

As the number of children and youths increases in the villages and cities outside, the available playgrounds get congested. The month-long festival underscores the scarcity of proper playing fields in rural areas, where open grounds are often lacking. In Pathari-Shanishchare Municipality’s Bhagirath Secondary School’s ground, except the main 11-side ground, until less than a decade ago, there used to be over half a dozen children's teams finding enough space around to play their own small matches. However, currently, there are buildings built throughout the ground. The 11-side ground has been reduced to half, and the other smaller open spaces are not playable.

The situation is common throughout the district of Morang. Local youths and children can be seen playing along the field where the crops have just been harvested or along the river banks. Last year, just before Dashain, a ward-level seven-a-side football tournament was held in an open field, drawing local spectators who stayed even after sunset, with both players and audiences straining their eyes to keep up with the action. Similar local tournaments are scheduled throughout the country for this festive season as well.

In Bhojpur district, Sangharsha Yuwa Club of Shadananda Municipality is organising an inter-ward-level volleyball tournament with an entry fee of Rs. 1,505, and the winner will receive Rs. 25,555. Likewise, Malbase Yuwa Club in the district is hosting a volleyball tournament where the entry fee is Rs. 505. The winners will be awarded a 4 kg broiler, the runners-up a 3 kg rooster, and the third-placed team a 2 kg rooster.

In Makwanpur, Lamitar Yuwa Club of Manahari Rural Municipality is organising a ‘Khasi Cup’ with a Rs. 3,500 entry fee. Only teams from the rural municipality can participate, and the winner will receive a goat, while the runners-up will get three roosters. 

Although Bhale and Khasi matches are informal and locally managed, other well-organised tournaments are also taking place. For example, the Sarlahi Cricket Association is hosting the second season of the Sarlahi Cricket League from October 19 to 26. This indoor cricket league will feature six teams and will be held at the covered hall in Malangawa, Sarlahi.

(Poudel is a sports journalist at The Rising Nepal.)