KATHMANDU: Whenever they face India, a pain mixed with fear haunts the Nepali women’s volleyball team. Over the last seven years, Nepal has played against India on its home court in three different tournaments: the 13th South Asian Games (SAG), the AVC Central Zone Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup, and the CAVA Women’s Nations League. However, the dream of winning the title remains unfulfilled.

Nepal has now been presented with another opportunity to chase that dream. The Nepali team will begin its CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship journey by facing India on its home court this coming Friday. The tournament, featuring eight nations, will be held at the National Sports Council (NSC) Covered Hall in Tripureshwar from May 22 to 29. Alongside Nepal, India, Kyrgyzstan, and the Maldives are in Group ‘A’. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Sri Lanka are placed in the other group.

Nepal will play its first match against India on May 22. On the same day, competitions will also take place between Kyrgyzstan and the Maldives, as well as between Iran and Bangladesh. After the group stage, the top two teams from both groups will advance to the semifinals, while the final match will take place on May 29.

Some senior players of the Nepali team have migrated abroad. However, spiker Niruta Thagunna states that new and talented players have been added to the squad. “With the blend of old and new players, we are confident that we can win the title,” she says.

 The hurdle named India

Whenever volleyball is discussed, the rivalry between Nepal and India is always remembered. These two teams faced each other in the final of the 13th SAG, held at the NSC Covered Hall in Kathmandu in 2019.

Nepal had previously won bronze medals three times—in 1999, 2006, and 2016. Therefore, the Nepali team had a golden opportunity to win a gold medal for the first time on home soil. Having returned with high confidence as champions of the Central Zone Women’s Volleyball Tournament held in Bangladesh just three weeks prior to the tournament, Nepal made an impressive start in the opening match of the SAG by defeating the same team in straight sets, 3-0. However, they were subsequently defeated in straight sets, 3-0.

Nevertheless, maintaining their excellent form, the Nepali team defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in the semifinal and secured a silver medal for the first time in SAG history.

Facing India again in the final, Nepal put up a courageous performance. In a highly competitive match, Nepal was restricted to the runner-up position, losing by 3-2 sets. Since then, the competition between Nepal and India has been continuous. In South Asian women’s volleyball, these two teams are often considered each other’s main rivals. However, India has emerged victorious in most encounters.

Nepali player Usha Bhandari spiking against India during the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup. Photo: CAVA

Nepal and India also locked horns in the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup held on this very court in 2023. In that match under Group ‘A’, Nepal was defeated by India by 3-1 sets. Following that, the two teams met on August 7, 2024, in the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship. In an exciting group stage match, Nepal defeated India by 3-2 sets. However, India took revenge for the defeat in the final. In a highly competitive title clash, India beat Nepal by the same 3-2 sets to claim the trophy.

Spiker Usha Bhandari states that preparations are underway this time to avenge that very defeat. “We have defeated India before. Our loss in the final wasn’t embarrassing either. We missed out on tight points. Therefore, the responsibility to defeat India has fallen on our shoulders again. However, we will miss the presence of our senior sisters,” she says.

Aruna Shahi, who played a vital role in leading Nepal to the final in the first edition of the CAVA tournament organized in 2024, is currently in Australia. Along with her, hitter Saraswoti Chaudhary, outside hitter Punam Chand, blockers Kabita Bhatta and Safiya Pun, and rising player Manisha Chaudhary have also reached Australia this year.

From the previous squad, only Niruta and Usha, along with middle blocker Sumitra Regmi, liberos Salina Shrestha and Shantikala Tamang, spikers Kamana Bista and Aarti Subedi, and setter Pragati Nath remain in the team.

To fill the ‘gap’ created by the absence of senior players, some new players have been given an opportunity. Salina Budha Magar, Laxmi Chand, and Jasna Mahato have been included in the closed camp training.

Nepal Volleyball Association President Jitendra Bahadur Chand with the CAVA trophy. Photo: Nepal Volleyball Association

Likewise, players who have gained experience from the U-19 and U-20 national teams have also been kept in training. Players including Alisa Manandhar, Basanti Saud, Sunita Khatri, Rima Bishwokarma, and Meena Sunuwar are currently busy in training.

A few players, including Yamuna Rasaili, Ashika Chhetri, and Jenisha Bishwokarma, have exited following the training. Although the final squad is yet to be decided, spiker Bhandari mentions that because most of the players belong to the same age group, training and mutual coordination have been easy. “The junior players are also in good form. How the combination of new and old players performs will only be known during the tournament. However, as the preparations are going well, we are confident of a pleasant result,” she says.

Still captainless

Although there are many new faces in the team, the coach remains the old one—Jagdish Bhatta. Bhatta, who is also the chief coach of the National Sports Council (NSC), has been training this team for about 15 months. He is building the team with an eye toward the Asian Games (Asiad) to be held in Japan this year.

However, compared to the first edition, it is estimated that the tournament will be much more difficult this time. Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who have been considered relatively weaker in the South Asian region, have shown significant improvements. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, whom Nepal defeated in previous tournaments, have now reached the level of playing in the Asian Championship.

Head Coach Jagdish Bhatta. Photo: Nepal Volleyball Association

Although Nepal registered a historic win against India once, this team is now being viewed as a stronger and equal competitor. This time, India is arriving in Kathmandu with a young squad under the leadership of a foreign coach for the first time. With the aim of making women’s volleyball more powerful, India has appointed 38-year-old Slovak-born Azerbaijani coach Jana Kulan. Meanwhile, Iran is participating in the tournament with experienced players, continuing with the same ‘core’ team for five consecutive years.

Overall, this tournament does not seem easy for Nepal. Furthermore, despite volleyball being the national sport, Nepal has not been able to win a title on home soil so far. Under such circumstances, the Nepali team, which is waiting for the title, is still without a captain. However, coach Bhatta states that he is focused more on the team’s unity and performance rather than the selection of a captain. “The captain will be selected based on who can keep the team united and how they perform on the court. The captain will be decided by today or tomorrow,” he says.

An opportunity to rise

Nepal has not yet been able to rise above the Asian level. Therefore, the biggest tournament Nepal plays is CAVA. The reason for remaining limited to such restricted tournaments is being unranked by the world volleyball governing body, FIVB.

In the past, Nepal was ranked 86th in the FIVB rankings. The Nepali team, which participated in the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, in 2022, had to settle for 11th place. After that, Nepal only got to play in limited tournaments.

Nepal Volleyball Association President Jitendra Bahadur Chand states that Nepal, which dropped out of the rankings due to not playing enough international tournaments in recent years, is looking at this tournament as an opportunity to regain that ranking. “If we can win this tournament, we will get an opportunity to play in the Asia Cup next year. Even there, if we can place within the top 6, a journey to an even higher level can be determined,” he says.

The previous edition of CAVA was scheduled to be organized in Nepal. However, due to the Gen Z protests that occurred on September 8 and 9, 2025, the tournament was shifted to Tajikistan. If it had been held in Nepal, CAVA had planned to organize an outdoor volleyball tournament for the first time at Tundikhel. Only Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan participated in that tournament.

After a year, Nepal has returned to the home court to participate in the tournament again. “Because the home supporters are very optimistic, there is no alternative to capturing the title,” Chand states.