Sports in Nepal

{{Main|Cricket in Nepal}}

Cricket is the most popular sport in Nepal.{{cn|date=April 2025}} It rapidly grew in popularity in the mid 2010s, following the slight successes of the Nepalese cricket team as well as the country's explosive rise in social media and television viewing influence from neighboring country India.

The Nepal national cricket team is controlled by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) which was founded in 1946.{{Cite web|title=About – Cricket Association of Nepal|url=https://cricketnepal.org.np/about/|access-date=2020-09-06|language=en-US}} CAN became a member of the National Sports Council in 1961 and was awarded affiliate status by the International Cricket Council in 1988 and since 1996 has been recognized as an associate member.{{Cite web|date=2013-04-07|title=Nepal can become a major cricketing force among associate countries|url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/nepal-can-become-a-major-cricketing-force-among-associate-countries-24966|access-date=2020-09-06|website=Cricket Country|language=en-US}} Nepal has been successful in regional events organized by the Asian Cricket Council, placing first in the ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament in 2006/07 and sharing the title with the United Arab Emirates in the 2012 ACC Trophy Elite. The women's team made their debut in 2007 and has qualified for the Women's Asia Cup in 2012 and 2016.

Nepal qualified for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 which was the only appearance by the senior men's team at a major ICC event, which also gave them Twenty20 International (T20I) until 2015.{{Cite web|title=Nepal enters ICC World Twenty20 with thrilling win|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/178932|access-date=2020-09-06|website=www.icc-cricket.com|language=en}} The national under-19 team has qualified for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup seven times including winning the Plate Championship in 2006. Recently Nepal has qualified and played in the ICC World Twenty20 2024.File:ACC_Twenty20_Nepal_v_Malaysia.JPG]]

Nepal claimed One Day International (ODI) status for the first time with their six wicket win over Papua New Guinea in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier play off encounter on 15 March 2018.{{cite web|url=https://theweek.com/cricket/92328/nepal-cricket-odi-status|title=Nepal make cricket history after securing ODI status|access-date=8 September 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22777050/biggest-day-nepal-cricket-history-khadka|title='Biggest day in Nepal cricket history' - Khadka|date=15 March 2018|website=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 September 2018}} The men and women's team both currently have T20I status as a result of an ICC decision to expand the status to all member nations.{{Cite web|title=All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/672322|access-date=2020-09-06|website=www.icc-cricket.com|language=en}}

{{Main|Football in Nepal}}

File:Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Nepal.jpg

Football (also known as soccer) is the second most popular sport in Nepal.{{cn|date=April 2025}} The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is the governing body of Nepalese football that organizes the men's and women's national teams.

Football was introduced to Nepal during the Rana regime in the 1921.{{Cite web|title=ANFA {{!}} About|url=https://the-anfa.com/about-us|access-date=2020-09-06|website=the-anfa.com|language=en}} Since its introduction play was mostly limited to the Kathmandu Valley but since the turn of the millennium more tournaments have started to be organized throughout the country. The Martyr's Memorial A-Division League is the premier football league in Nepal and has been organized since 1955.

The Nepal national team was organized in 1972 after being affiliated to FIFA in 1971 and lost to China in their first official match. Nepal regularly participates in tournaments organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and was the winner of the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup.

{{Main|Volleyball in Nepal}}

Volleyball, the third most popular sport in Nepal, was declared the national sport of Nepal on 22 May 2017 (2074 Jestha 8). The Nepal Volleyball Association (NVA) is the governing body of volleyball in Nepal and organizes the men's and women's national teams. Nepal competes in tournaments organized by the Central Asian Zonal Volleyball Association which operates under the Asian Volleyball Confederation.

As in many other countries, women's volleyball is more popular than men's.{{cite news |title=Volleyball is my first love: Shahi|url= https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/volleyball-is-my-first-love-shahi/|access-date=7 January 2021 |work=The Himalayan Times |date=22 December 2020}} it is played in all 77 district which means all parts of Nepal.

{{Main article|Swimming in Nepal}}

File:Gaurika Singh.jpg

Gaurika Singh participated at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the youngest Olympian, representing Nepal in the Women's 100m backstroke.

{{Main articles|National Games of Nepal}}

The Nepal Olympic Committee and the National Sports Council hosts the National Games of Nepal every two or three years. The event is meant to identify talent for the South Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympic Games as well as develop sporting infrastructure throughout the country. The National Games have been held eight times with the first event being held in 1982 at Kathmandu.

{{Color box|#FFEBCD|border=darkgray}} Franchise League  

{{Main articles|Nepal at the Olympics}}

{{See also|Nepal at the Paralympics}}

Nepal first competed in the summer Olympics at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and has competed in eleven straight summer Olympics starting from the 1972 Munich Olympics. Nepal has also competed in four winter Olympic events first competing in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and last competed in the event at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. As of 2018, Nepal has not won a medal in any of the Olympic events.

{{Main articles|Nepal at the Asian Games}}

Nepal competed at first Asian Games in 1951 at New Delhi and won its first medal at the event in the 1986 Seoul Games, winning 8 bronze medals. As of 2018, Nepal has won 2 silver medals and 22 bronze medals at the event.

{{Main articles|Nepal at the South Asian Games}}

Nepal has competed in every edition of the South Asian Games and has hosted the event in 1984, 1999 and 2019. As of 2019, Nepal is the fourth-most successful country, winning 679 medals winning 130 gold medals, 182 silver medals and 367 bronze medals.

{{Further| Category:Sports governing bodies in Nepal|label1=List of national sports governing bodies in Nepal}}

{{Further|Category:National sports teams of Nepal|Label1=List of national sports teams of Nepal }}

{{See also|Category:Sports governing bodies in Nepal|label 1=National sports governing bodies in Nepal}}

{{Main|Category:International sports competitions hosted by Nepal|l1 = List of international sports competitions held in Nepal}}

The following is a list of international sports events held in Nepal:

• NSJF Sports Award
• Pokhara Sports Award
• NNIPA Sports Award

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web |title=Football at the heart of the Himalaya |publisher=FIFA |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/magazine/index/0,1569,102162,00.html?articleid=102162 |access-date=23 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050909093135/http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/magazine/index/0%2C1569%2C102162%2C00.html?articleid=102162 |archive-date=9 September 2005 |url-status=dead }}

• [http://www.nsc.gov.np/ National sports commission of Nepal]
• [http://moys.gov.np/ Ministry of youth and sports, Nepal]

{{Nepal topics}}

{{Sports governing bodies in Nepal}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Nepal}}

Sports in Nepal