FIFA Football for Schools programme launched in Nepal

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu,Aug,1:  Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has officially launched the FIFA Football for Schools (F4S) programme in Nepal, aiming to promote football among school children across the country.

The launch event was held at Dasharath Stadium on Thursday, where PM Oli handed out footballs to around 1,000 schools. These footballs were provided free of cost with support from FIFA.

Speaking at the event, PM Oli said the government is committed to improving sports infrastructure nationwide. He announced plans to build a new stadium in Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, with a seating capacity of 50,000. “Dasharath Stadium only holds 15,000 — it’s too small,” he said.

Oli also shared Nepal’s ambition to produce world-class footballers who could match or even surpass legends like Pele, Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappé. “We want to create players who can compete at the highest level,” he said.

The F4S programme is being run in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and coordinated by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). It aims to include football in school activities and help students develop life skills like teamwork, discipline, and leadership.

FIFA officials Antonio Buonanno Sanchez and Alberto Giacomini visited Nepal to help set up the programme. FIFA will provide 32,640 footballs to 1,072 schools in all 75 districts.

ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang said the programme, initiative of FIFA and UNESCO, is already active in many countries and is now being introduced in Nepal for the first time. It aims to give football access to around 600,000 children aged 4 to 14 across the country.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Poudel, Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary, National Sports Council Vice President Dhruba Acharya, and Member Secretary Tanklal Ghising.