By A Staff ReporterKathmandu, Sept. 4: The inaugural edition of the Nepal Volleyball League (NVL), the country’s first franchise-based men’s volleyball tournament, gets underway on Friday, September 4, at the National Sports Council Covered Hall in Tripureshwor.
Organised by the Kedia Group in coordination with the Nepal Volleyball Association (NVA), the tournament features six franchise teams competing for a total prize purse of Rs 3.2 million, the highest in Nepalese domestic volleyball history.
The champions will receive a record top prize of Rs 2 million. NVL Managing Director Ashwin Kedia confirmed that the remaining Rs 1.2 million will be distributed among the runners-up and individual award winners.
He added that the prize pool reflects the substantial investment made by participating franchises. While a women’s franchise competition was introduced previously, this marks the first franchise league dedicated to men’s volleyball in the country.
Six franchise teams, Madhesh Warriors, Sagarmatha Smashers, Annapurna Spiker Kings, Karnali Shivraj, Khaptad Falcons, and Kathmandu Reds, will compete in a single round-robin format.
The top-ranked team at the end of the league stage will qualify directly for the final, whilst the second- and third-placed teams will meet in a play-off to decide the second finalist.
A total of 17 matches will be played, culminating in the final on Saturday, September 12. Madhesh Warriors face Sagarmatha Smashers in the opening match on Friday, followed by a second fixture between Annapurna Spiker Kings and Karnali Shivraj
The six teams built their domestic squads through a player auction and have bolstered their rosters with international talent.
Under league regulations, each team is permitted to field three foreign players, bringing a total of 18 international recruits to the competition.
All 18 foreign players have arrived in Nepal ahead of Friday’s opening fixtures. Representing nine nations, the largest contingent comes from Pakistan with five players, followed by three each from India and Mongolia. Poland, Belarus, Iran, Russia, and Benin are represented by one player each.
Organisers have unveiled ‘Danfe’ (the Himalayan Monal), Nepal’s national bird, as the official mascot, pairing it alongside volleyball, the national sport.
The Rising Nepal
