On Wednesday, Nepal national U-19 women’s cricket team followed the path of U-19 men’s cricket team and senior men’s team to reach their maiden T20 World Cup. It will be the first occasion any women’s cricket team from Nepal will appear at the global event when the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off in January next year.

Last month, Nepal national women’s football team reached their 12th final of a major competition—second of the year and sixth in the SAFF Women’s Championship—but could not win their first international trophy.

In August, Nepal national women’s volleyball team’s bid to win an international trophy at home remained unfulfilled when they lost the final of the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Nations League.

The same month, Para-taekwondo athlete Palesha Goverdhan created history when she won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games , becoming the first ever athlete from Nepal to win a Paralympic medal. Last year, Arika Gurung won Nepal’s only third ever silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in China.

Nepali women athletes have shown immense potential that they can go very far in the international competitions, yet they consistently face a lack of essential investment, infrastructure, resources, and support.

“There were high hopes that the women’s team would reach the World Cup before the men’s team,” national women’s cricket team captain Indu Barma said while speaking during a session titled ‘Women’s Champions From The Field’ at the Kantipur Conclave on Thursday. “However, women’s cricket was completely ignored after the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) was suspended, which was a huge blow to our motivation.”

Barma, who guided her team to their first Asia Cup since 2016 earlier in July, stressed the need for more focus in the development of women’s sports.

“The cricket governing body has shown commitment to advancing women’s cricket. They have provided us with annual contracts. But this alone is not sufficient,” she added. “Unlike men’s cricket, we lack a proper league like the Nepal Premier League. We have asked CAN to establish a women’s league. It’s their responsibility to create a platform for us to compete, just as it is our responsibility to deliver results.”

The Prime Minister Cup Women’s National T20 Cricket Tournament was the only domestic tournament held for women’s cricketers this year.