Nepal’s Roller Derby skaters train hard for Asian Championship

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 2: With the aim of winning a medal at the 20th Asian Roller Skating Championship, Nepal’s national women's Roller Derby team has been training intensively for more than six months.

The team also held a closed training session in Punjab, India, from April 18 to 29. Ellen French, a Level 1 Roller Derby coach from World Skating, trained the Nepali skaters during the 10-day camp. They returned home on Thursday.

After coming back, Nepal’s chief coach, Dilip Raj Baral, expressed confidence in securing at least one medal at the Asian Championship in Incheon, South Korea, from July 1 to 3.

"During the training, we played a friendly match against India, the gold medal favorite. Our girls gave their best. Looking at their performance, there is no doubt that we can win at least one medal in the continental championship," said Coach Baral.

Roller derby is a new sport for Nepal. It is a contact game played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. The match lasts for 60 minutes, with players competing in a series of two-minute timed jams.

"Our skaters received basic training in Nepal. In India, they trained at an advanced level. They learned techniques for drilling, jumping, braking, and blocking. Eight Nepali players trained in Punjab," added Coach Baral.

The Nepali skaters who trained in Punjab were Kripa Pant, Presika Bohara, Nayana Shakya, Prasuna Lama, Ayushma Thakuri, Nimisha Tamang, Pasang Yangji Sherpa, Yogina Shrestha, and Suchina Bhaju. Sanju Shrestha and Bikash Lama accompanied the team as manager and official.

Nepal Skate and Skateboarding Association's General Secretary, Satya Thapa, and Coach Baral, who is also an advisor to the association, assisted the team in India.