The Nepali women’s team is leaving for India on Saturday to participate in the second edition of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup. According to the All Nepal Kabaddi Association (ANKA), the squad will first reach Haryana for training and then Hyderabad for the main event.

Initially scheduled to take place in Bihar in June, the tournament is taking place at the Hyderabad-based Gachibowli Indoor Stadium from August 3 to 10.

The World Cup is returning for its second edition after a gap of 13 years. The first edition was held back in 2012 in Patna, India.

“Nepali team will train in Haryana from July 19 to August 1,” the ANKA stated. “The squad will have a special training session in Mormajra alongside practice matches with five local clubs.”

A total of 18 individuals, including 14 players and four officials, will be travelling to India. The National Sports Council (NSC) and ANKA bid them farewell at the NSC office in Tripureshwar on Friday.

The selected players are Manmati Bist (captain), Jayanti Badu (vice-captain), Menuka Kumari Rajbanshi, Rabina Chaudhary, Mina Nepali, Ganga Ghimire, Aashika Kunwar, Shrijana Kumari Tharu, Shrijana Dhanuk, Manisha Joshi, Urusha Shakya, Aasma Yadav, Binita Pandit Kshetri, and Sanju Thami.

Among the four officials are head coach Bishnudatta Bhatt, assistant coach Harina Thapa, team manager Sharad Darshandhari and referee Ramesh Chandra Ojha.

Nepal, ranked third in the world among 47 Asian nations, qualified for the tournament and will compete alongside India, Uganda, Germany, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands (Holland), Zanzibar, Iran, Japan, Poland, Kenya, Argentina, and Thailand.

In his remarks, NSC member-secretary Tanka Lal Ghising stated that the performance of women athletes continues to improve and that the women’s kabaddi team has proven it is no longer limited to success only within South Asia by securing medals in Asian-level competitions. Nepal women’s kabaddi team bagged a bronze in the previous Asian Games.

Meanwhile, head coach Bhatt and captain Bist said they were confident of winning a medal, citing the team’s solid preparations following eight months of closed training.