National Women's Volleyball Tourney set for January

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 26:The 9th Sher Bahadur Khadka Memorial National Women’s Volleyball Tournament will be held in Kathmandu from 8 to 11 January.

The Sher Bahadur Khadka Memorial Foundation organises the event annually. At a press conference in Kathmandu on Thursday, Foundation Chair Ranjan Khadka announced that five teams, including three departmental sides, will compete.

Nepal Police, Nepal Army, Armed Police Force (APF), New Diamond Youth Sports Club, and Everest Volleyball Club will vie for the title, which carries a winner’s prize of Rs. 500,000. 

The teams will be split into two groups, with matches played on a league-cum-knockout basis.

Sponsored by multinational paint company KNP Nerolac, the tournament has a total prize fund of Rs. 1.3 million.  The runners-up will receive Rs. 250,000, while the third-placed team will take home Rs. 125,000. Outstanding players in specific categories will each be awarded Rs. 25,000.

The ‘Player of the Match’ in every game will earn Rs. 15,000.  At the opening ceremony, one national-level female player will be honoured with Rs. 50,000 in cash, continuing a tradition from previous editions. 

Chair Khadka also confirmed that each player and member of the technical team has been insured for Rs. 500,000.

All matches will be staged at the covered hall of the National Sports Council (NSC) in Tripureshwor. 

APF won the first six editions, New Diamond claimed the seventh, and Nepal Police are the defending champions.

During the press conference, Manoj Mishra, Country Head of Nerolac, and Gamali Khadka, Patron of the Foundation, signed the sponsorship agreement. 

The organisers said the tournament is supported by NSC, the Provincial Sports Development Council, Bagmati Province, corporate houses, and local municipalities.

Mishra noted that as the tournament has grown in stature, the company’s commitment has also increased, ensuring continued budget support. Jitendra Bahadur Chand, President of the Nepal Volleyball Association, extended his best wishes for the success of the competition.

The Foundation launched the tournament in 2015 with the aim of empowering female athletes and enhancing their skills.