Youth and Sports minister Satya Narayan Mandal and Australian Ambassador to Nepal Glenn White on Monday jointly launched the Shuttle Time Nepal project.

The project in funded by the Australia’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade under its Asian Sports Partnership Program

2015-2016. Shuttle Time Nepal will reach over 500 primary school teachers across the countryand, through those teachers, deliver a 12 week Shuttle Time programme that will benefit over 20,000 primary school children. It will provide school with badminton kits, teaching resources and training for 20 tutors across the five regions.

Minister Mandal said the project would help foster relations between Nepal and Australia and such initiatives, which targets grass roots level, help promote people’s health and sports culture. Ambassador White said Australia and Nepal share a love of sport which has the ability to define nations’ identity, values and culture.

“Australia has led the way in supporting successful sport for development programs in the Pacific since 2009. In Nepal, Australia has been a partner in the areas of cricket, LGBTI Regional Sporting event, netball and Special Olympics. I’m pleased to announce a new relationship between the Australian Government, Badminton Australia, the World Badminton Federation and the Nepal Badminton Association,” said White.