Kathmandu Metropolitan City honors Nepali women’s Volleyball team for outstanding performance

During an honor ceremony held the day after the final match, Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Mayor, Balen Shah, praised the team’s outstanding performance. “You performed excellently with no weaknesses. Your performance united all Nepalis and proved that volleyball is truly a national sport,” he said.

Mayor Shah honored the players, coaches, team manager, and therapist with cash rewards. Each player received NPR 100,000, while the team manager, head coach, assistant coach, and therapist each received NPR 50,000 along with certificates of honor. Shah emphasized the need for the government to convert the players’ efforts into tangible results for sports development.

The honored players were Aruna Shahi (captain), Niruta Thagunna, Shantikala Tamang, Saraswati Chaudhary, Sumitra Regmi, Usha Bhandari, Kavita Bhatt, Kamana Bista, Sangam Mahato, Safia Pun, Aarti Subedi, Poonam Chand, Pragati Nath, and Salina Shrestha. The team was Nilam Singh Bajracharya, manager; Jagdish Prasad Bhatt, head coach; Bharat Yadav, assistant coach and Lokendra Bahadur Kunwar, therapist.

“The runners-up team has drawn our attention to the need for the government to work on sports infrastructure, a sports-friendly environment, and player development,” Shah said during the ceremony. “This has made us aware of the gaps, and we will work on them.”

Discussing the technical aspects of the game, Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol highlighted the importance of enthusiasm and energy. “Winning a medal is a technical matter, and there will always be wins and losses. The most important aspect is the players’ energy, which we saw in the women’s volleyball team,” she said. Dangol assured that the municipality is committed to strengthening and developing the sport, emphasizing that in international games, there are no opposing sides—every Nepali shares the same perspective.

Head coach Bhatt noted that the municipality’s support has boosted their motivation to achieve better results in future South Asian competitions. “Nepal won a gold medal in the first year of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA), established in 2017. With the municipality’s support, we will strive to regain that position,” he stated.

Pradeep Pariyar, Chief Administrative Officer; Ram Kumar K.C., Social Committee Coordinator; Ishwar Man Dangol, Finance Committee Coordinator and Navaraj Parajuli, Revenue Committee Coordinator were among the officials who honored and encouraged the players.

In the final match held at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Wednesday, India emerged as the champions, defeating Nepal 3-2 in sets. Nepal had previously defeated India in the round-robin league. Five countries participated in the event. Nepal faced a similar situation in the volleyball event of the 13th South Asian Games in 2019.

In the opening match, Nepal defeated Sri Lanka in a straight 3-0 set. Nepal now looks forward to strengthening the game and preparing for the next competition.