Nepal Marks a New Era in Men’s Volleyball by Securing a Spot in the FIVB World Rankings
For the first time, Nepal has earned a place in the FIVB World Rankings by participating in a recognized international tournament, marking a historic milestone for Nepalese men’s volleyball. This achievement signifies the beginning of a new chapter for volleyball in Nepal and is expected to have a positive impact in the coming days. Nepal’s men’s volleyball team secured their position in the FIVB rankings after competing in the CAVBA Men’s Volleyball Championship, where they faced Kazakhstan and earned the 84th spot. Notably, six new players made their debut in the national team, further signaling the dawn of a new era for Nepalese volleyball. Date: 6 Shrawan, Kathmandu.
Both the national men’s and women’s volleyball teams from Nepal are now included in the FIVB World Rankings. Following their opening match against Kazakhstan at the CAVBA Men’s Volleyball Championship, which began Wednesday in Islamabad, Nepal achieved 83rd place in the world rankings. This was Nepal’s first participation in an FIVB-recognized world ranking competition, and the men’s volleyball team demonstrated significant progress by securing a ranking. The six new debutants in the match against Kazakhstan are seen as heralding a fresh chapter for Nepalese men’s volleyball.
The opening match took place at the Garrison Jinnah Sports Complex in Islamabad, where Nepal gave a stiff challenge to Kazakhstan. Ranked 65th globally, Kazakhstan secured the first two sets fairly easily and reached a decisive position. However, Nepal made an impressive comeback, leveling the third set at 24–24 and eventually winning the tiebreaker 34–32 to regain momentum. Nepal then took the lead and won the fourth set 25–19, leveling the match at 2–2. In the final set, after an early tie, Kazakhstan capitalized on minor errors to take a lead and clinch the set and match 15–9. In this thrilling five-set match, Kazakhstan earned 2 points while Nepal received 1 point.
Recognizing the significance of this FIVB-recognized event, the Nepal Volleyball Association made special efforts to send the team to participate. Head coach Jagdish Prasad Bhatt prepared the team on home ground specifically for the CAVBA Men’s Volleyball Championship. Under his guidance, Nepal’s women’s team had previously competed in the CAVBA Women’s Volleyball Championship in Kathmandu two months earlier. Although Nepal finished fourth in that tournament, they secured a spot in the world rankings and outperformed neighboring India. Following these recent two CAVBA championships, both Nepal’s men’s and women’s teams have been included in the FIVB World Rankings, marking a significant achievement for Nepalese volleyball.
