Nepal has frequently faced India in competitive matches at the covered hall of Dashrath Rangasala. It was here that Nepal first achieved a historic victory over India. In the opening match of the Kathmandu-hosted KABA Women’s Volleyball Championship, Nepal was narrowly defeated by India 3-2 in sets. Coach Jagadish Bhatt mentioned that Nepal lost the decisive fifth set at a 5-5 tie due to two key errors. Nepal aims to secure wins against Kyrgyzstan and the Maldives to advance to the semifinals. Kathmandu, 8 Jestha — In 2024, during the KABA Women’s Volleyball Nations League held in Kathmandu, Nepal lost to India in the final after an intense five-set thriller, falling short of the title. Earlier, Nepal had recorded a historic five-set win against India in the league phase of the same tournament. However, Nepal was defeated in the decisive final match.
Following that final, the Nepal and India national women’s volleyball teams once again met on Friday at the Dashrath Rangasala covered hall in Tripureshwor, with the same result. Nepal contended closely with India in the first game of the KABA Women’s Volleyball Championship but failed to convert the five-set battle in their favor. India claimed victory 3-2, starting their campaign with a win. Despite enthusiastic cheering and support from Nepalese fans in the covered hall, India emerged victorious. This venue at Dashrath Rangasala has witnessed many competitive encounters between the two sides, including Nepal’s inaugural win over India on this very court. Until now, four matches between these teams have gone to five sets, and this encounter maintained the trend.
Head coach Jagadish Bhatt reflected that many of these matches stretching to five sets have resulted in Nepal’s narrow losses. “The same happened today. We won the first set, but lost the next two sets which was problematic. We fought back to win the fourth set and pushed the match to the fifth set. At 5-5, the game could have gone either way, but two errors from our side proved decisive,” he explained. In the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) final in 2019 held in Nepal, Nepal had also strongly challenged India but lost 3-2, missing out on the gold medal. In the 2024 KABA Nations League, both the league phase and the final matches between Nepal and India went to five sets, with each team securing one win apiece. In 2023, Nepal lost 3-1 to India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as well as in the KABA Women’s Challenge Cup held in Kathmandu the same year.
Although the five-set thriller unfolded in a small arena, the Dashrath Rangasala covered hall demonstrated the sport’s significance and the high enthusiasm among Nepalese volleyball fans. Nepal took an early lead in the first set, winning 25-21. India initially surged ahead 3-0, but Nepal rallied back to level at 13-13 and eventually took the set. However, Nepal was unable to maintain momentum. India won the second set 25-20, equalizing the match. Nepal showed weaknesses in reception and defense during this set. India continued their dominance in the third set, winning 25-19 and securing a 2-1 lead. Nepal could not perform as expected and India led from start to finish. However, Nepal rebounded in the fourth set, holding the lead from the outset and winning 25-21 to push the match to a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, both teams traded points to tie 5-5, but India then scored two consecutive points to pull ahead and eventually won the set and match 15-9. This game marked the first match under the captaincy of Nepal’s new leader, Niruta Thagunna. The team featured a blend of newcomers and experienced players. According to Coach Bhatt, this experience will help strengthen the team in future competitions. Despite the outcome, Coach Bhatt was pleased with the team’s performance. “I am happy to see a strong competition. The young players performed well. Our opponents took advantage of their height,” he noted.
The match gave debut opportunities to players selected for the national squad for the first time. Middle blocker Sunita Khatri was on the court from the start. Young outside hitter Mina Sunar also made a positive impact. Additionally, Salina Budha Magar, Jasna Mahto, and Basanti Saud made their debuts. Coach Bhatt provided playtime to all players while competing against the Indian side. Captaining the team for the first time proved challenging for captain Niruta Thagunna, who spent much of the game off the court and became emotional during the post-match press conference. India’s Azerbaijani coach Kulan Jana praised Nepal as a strong and competitive team.
Despite the opening loss, Nepal earned 1 point, while India gained 2 points. On the same day, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Maldives and collected 3 points. Nepal will face Kyrgyzstan and the Maldives on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Winning both remaining games is essential for Nepal to qualify for the semifinals. Coach Bhatt clearly stated the team’s goal to win the remaining matches and advance. “Our goal now is to win the remaining two matches to reach the semifinals and then compete in the final,” he said. Nepal’s second match, against Kyrgyzstan, will take place at 5 PM on Saturday.
