Arriving from a 10-day training in Sri Lanka, Nepal’s beach volleyball team have struggled to find a proper practice venue for the upcoming South Asian Games. Nepal is staging the regional sporting extravaganza in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur from December 1 to 10.

With only seven days remaining for the Games, the players are unable to get proper match practice due to delay in completion of the infrastructure. But the local players exude confidence in winning a medal.

Beach volleyball has been included in the regional mega-event for the first time in its history and the sport will be played on the banks of Fewa Lake. Hosts Nepal will compete with India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives in the sport. A total of 24 teams, two from each participating country in the men’s and women’s categories, will contest for two gold medals.

The pair of Man Bahadur Shrestha and Dil Sunar along with Sanju Shah and Raju BK will represent Nepal. All four of them are national players of indoor volleyball as well. Nepal women’s teams include the pair of Kopila Upreti and Manisha Chaudhari along with Binita Budhathoki and Nebika Chaudhary. Senior volleyball coach Sudesh Kumar Rimal and Kaushila Khatri have been mentoring the beach volleyball sides.

There is only one court on the banks of Fewa. Both men’s and women’s teams take turns to train and practice on the court. Three other courts are currently under construction. The construction of the courts was delayed as due to funds not being released on time. “Preparations are underway, the training is in its final phase. However, the teams are bearing the brunt as the courts are yet to be ready,” lamented Rimal.

Another coach, Khatri says, “Beach volleyball is a psychological battle and it’s also physically demanding. But we are confident of a good performance at home.”

The court of beach volleyball measures 9x9 metres and the ball is lighter than the one used for indoor volleyball.

The players and coaches consider Sri Lanka, who have won several titles at the Asian level, a strong side in beach volleyball.

“It is quite disappointing that we have not been able to train at the court where the matches will be played despite being the hosts. It would have been great if we could train in the courts,” said Shrestha, a Nepali player.

“The delay in completion of the court was caused by the scarcity of good quality sand,” said Bhim Parajuli, president of the District Volleyball Association.

Beach Volleyball is a sport normally played on the seashores, worldwide. In Nepal, which is a landlocked country, it’s played on the banks of rivers and lakes. There is no official account of when the sport was first introduced in Nepal.

National Sports Council board member Rajesh Gurung says, “There is no other location best suited for beach volleyball. The sport has to be developed also to draw in more tourists.”