By Sachit Subba • Volleyball • Sep 02, 2026 16:13 PM • 68 views
The Kedia Group had officially opened the way for a new era in domestic sports by announcing a historic prize of 2 million NPR for the winners of the first Nepal Volleyball League.
This Friday, the much-anticipated men's franchise tournament gets under wgets under way at the National Sports Council Covered Hall in Tripureshwor,Since the total amount of prize money available is amount of prize moneyevent immediatemillion NPR, the event immediately bene of the most lucrative on the nationaplayers who finish in second and third position will divide the remaining 1.2 million NPR. Additionally, individual Player of the Match bonuses will be awarded to outstanding performers throughout all 17 matches.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the organizers announced the official tournament mascot, the Danfe, together with the league anthem. Outside of the playing area, the event has clear social objectives. As a response to the recent natural disasters, the Kedia Group has agreed to carry out a charitable action on the first day of the tournament. When you purchase a ticket this Friday, the money you spend will be sent directly to a relief fund for those affected by the floods. Furthermore, the tournament will actively campaign to raise awareness about climate change during its nine-day duration.
Jitendra Bahadur Chand, President of the Nepal Volleyball Association, called the franchise system an important advance. He stressed that introducing foreign players into local teams will greatly raise the technical level of domestic players, and the substantial financial support from private organisations gives athletes a real professional opportunity, enabling them to focus fully on their sport.
The Friday double header kicks off right away, with the Madhesh Warriors playing against the Sagarmatha Smashers in the opening match and the Annapurna Spiker Kings taking on the Karnali Shivraj in the second game of the day. The league consists of six teams: the Khaptad Falcons, the Madhesh Warriors, the Sagarmatha Smashers, the Kathmandu Reds, the Annapurna Spiker Kings and the Karnali Shivraj.
The squads completed the drawing up of their main teams at the domestic draft in late July, obtaining seven players from within the country. They then completed their squads of twelve by signing one prominent domestic star, recruiting three professional players from abroad, and finding one local talent through a grassroots search for talent.
Dhiroz Basnet leads the Khaptad Falcons with coach Rupesh Kumar Bisht. Rabin Nagarkoti leads Madhesh with coach Bharat Yadav. Hari Hajur Thapa captains Sagarmatha with Utsav Khadka. Sunil Bohara is in charge of the Reds with coach Nip Bahadur BK. Himal Sunari leads Annapurna with Ramesh KC. Pahal Gahataraj leads Karnali with Chandra Bahadur Kunwar.
The tournament follows a single round-robin system, meaning each team plays every other team once. The team that finishes first goes directly to the championship match. In contrast, the teams that finish second and third must compete in a high-stakes playoff to earn the final spot in the title match, with the entire 17-match programme concluding on September 12.
The organisers aim to change volleyball in Nepal by linking substantial prize money to the top level of competition; the presence of international players alongside the country's top athletes is expected to produce intense rallies, big blocks, and a never-before-seen level of tactical play at the Tripureshwor courts.
