Thunderbolts Development Centre, Nepal’s first international-standard sports and e-sports academy located in Dhapakhel, Lalitpur, is hosting the Nepal School Football League from August 2.

The league will be organised with technical support from the centre and will see the participation from eight schools in the inaugural edition.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the organisers said the league is being launched to address the lack of regular inter-school competitions, which has deprived students of competitive opportunities.

The competition will feature under-18 players from the schools based in the Kathmandu Valley. It will follow a round-robin league format, with the top four schools advancing to the playoffs.

The eight teams include GEMS School (GEMS Thunderbolts), DAV School (Super Danfes), Kanjirowa School (FC Mount Kanjirowa), Little Angels’ School (LA), Rato Bangala School (Red Pandas), Chelsea World School (Chelsea Falcons), Kathmandu World School (KWS Lokhyug FC), and Ullens School (Ullens Panthers).

The champions will receive a cash prize of Rs500,000, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs250,000. Additionally, individual awards of Rs50,000 each will be presented for the Best Player, Best Goalkeeper, and Top Scorer.

Along with the cash prizes, the organisers stated that top-performing players will also be eligible for scholarships and other opportunities. “The main objective of the tournament is to foster a disciplined, competitive, and talent-driven football environment at the school level,” the organisers said.