Popular Sports in Nepal

In the past few years, Sports have earned a reputable title in Nepal. Popular Sports is now seen as a profession than just a source of entertainment, this new thought has changed the life of many aspiring athletes in these few years. Improvement in training and better management of the sports teams and athletes has proven in worth as they have been achieving new heights of name and fame.

what is the most popular sports in Nepal?

Few sports that have been gathering attention from the public and forever favorite games in Nepal are mentioned here,

Football

It is undeniable that the most popular sports in Nepal is ‘Football’ in these recent days. Football of Nepal is governed by ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) established in 1951. Since then, ANFA has been responsible for managing the national team as well as the club competitions. The fan base of this sport has recently surged as the national team has shown remarkable success and won multiple games. Everyone despite their age and gender loves to play and watch this game. Although professional games are only held by ANFA, football is played all over Nepal may it be from school and community tournaments or little kids playing the game in their communities.

Cricket

Cricket has been one of the most successful and popular sports in Nepal for a long time. The game was introduced to Nepal in the 1920s during the Rana Regime. It was called “a gentleman’s game” and was only limited to the elites of the country but after the end of the Rana reign in 1951, the game was introduced to the public. Today, the management and promotion of the cricket team of Nepal were done by CAN (Cricket Association Nepal) established in 1948. The cricket team has had the reputation of the most popular game in Nepal for many years, today, Nepali players like Sandeep Lamichanne have made their name in the international market. Despite the lack of cricket grounds in the country, this game is played in open fields all over the country, especially in the Terai region.

Swimming

Swimming is also one of the popular sports in Nepal. This refreshing sport has gained popularity in the country as swimmers of the country have been participating and achieving a new level of success in international competitions. Names like Gaurika Singh and Alexander Shah have been repeatedly heard due to the athletes’ achievements in recent games like the South Asian Games and The Olympics. This sport has always been a means of refreshment for many people all across the country, and now it has resurfaced in the public minds as a professional sport.

Volleyball

Volleyball was declared the National popular sports of Nepal in 2017. Volleyball has been a famous sport in the country for a long time, it was brought to the country from Britain in 1933/1934 by the Nepalese who were in British Army. This sport requires less space and is economically feasible to play; the game is played in the country through inter-school and inter-college competitions and also through friendly local competitions.

Martial Arts

The Martial Arts of Nepal is governed by the IMAA (International Martial Arts Association). This association creates an environment and opportunities for children, teens, and adults who want to learn and develop the skill. For a long, Nepal has practiced many forms of Martial arts such as; Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Gurkha Kukri Martial Arts. These popular sports are locally practiced for basic combat skills and self-defense techniques. Nepal’s success in the international arena for Karate and Taekwondo has helped this sport become popular in the country.

Dandi-Biyo

Prior to Volleyball, Dandi-Biyo was the National Popular Sports of Nepal. Dandi-Biyo is not internationally recognized, yet this does not lessen its popularity in the Nepalese community. This sport was very popular around the 1980s, and it is still played by the young children of the country. The game is simple and played with two groups using two sticks; one stick is about 6 inches long and has pointed ends (Biyo) while the other is about 2 feet long (Dandi). The game was locally developed in rural areas using local tools and techniques.

Along with these sports, tennis, boxing, and weight-lifting are also gaining popularity. Interestingly, the influence of these games hasn’t overshadowed the locally played games like Kabbadi, Kho Kho, or Kusthi, these games still remain the popular games adored by the Nepalese.