Nepal’s First Men’s Volleyball League Starts 4 September

Nepal’s first men’s franchise volleyball league will begin on 4 September, with six teams competing for a top prize of Rs2 million.

The Extreme Energy Nepal Volleyball League (NVL) will be held at the National Sports Council covered hall in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, from 4 to 13 September.

Six teams will compete in a single round-robin format. The team finishing first in the league will qualify directly for the final, while the teams finishing second and third will play a playoff for the remaining final place.

The winners will receive Rs2 million (about $14,000), while the runners-up will take Rs1.2 million (about $8,400). The total prize money is Rs3.2 million, with additional cash awards for players in seven individual categories and player-of-the-match awards.

The league is being organised by the Kedia Group with support from the Nepal Volleyball Association. Its slogan is “A New Flight to Higher Heights”.

Organisers said the six teams have recruited a combination of domestic and overseas players and expect a high level of competition in the inaugural season.

Extreme Energy Drink is the league’s main sponsor, with Ncell serving as its connectivity partner. Other partners include Yeti Carpet, WorldLink, DAV School, Himalaya Life Insurance and the Nepal Tourism Board.

The tournament will also support flood victims. Organisers said all ticket revenue from the opening day will be donated to the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund.

The opening ceremony will be kept simple because of the ongoing disaster situation in the country, organisers said.

Nepal Volleyball Association president Jitendra Bahadur Chand said private-sector involvement would be important in taking volleyball towards a more professional and commercially sustainable future.

A women’s franchise volleyball competition was launched in Nepal two years ago, and organisers say the introduction of the men’s league represents another significant step for the sport.