Nepal and India have been fierce competitors at the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship. India had denied Nepal the title in the inaugural edition of the championship at the Covered Hall in Dasharath Stadium premises in 2024. Two years later, Nepal are targeting India as their major opponent again.

Dasharath Stadium’s Covered Hall is hosting the third edition of the championship under the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) from Friday.

It is also the first time that the tournament is hosting as many as eight teams. There were five teams in the first edition and only four in the second edition hosted in Uzbekistan last year. Nepal did not participate in the second edition.

The eight teams have been divided into two pools of four each. The hosts are in Pool A with India, Kyrgyzstan and the Maldives. Pool B comprises Iran, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

There are three fixtures on the opening day on Friday. Iran will play Bangladesh in the first match at 11am. It will be followed by an opening ceremony and then the biggest league-stage match: Nepal vs India at 3:30pm. The day will end with Kyrgyzstan facing the Maldives.

The top teams from each pool will face the second-placed teams of the opposite pool in the semi-finals. The winners will then compete for the trophy on May 29.

“We have prepared well, we have a good set of players and coaches,” said Niruta Thagunna, captain of Nepal team, during the pre-tournament press conference on Thursday. “We are fighting for the trophy.”

It will be Thagunna’s first match as captain. And she will be facing India at a possibly packed covered hall in her debut game.

Thagunna believes that Nepal can capitalise on the home conditions.

“We always train and play at this venue,” Thagunna said. “We will also get good support from our fans. We will win this title at home.”

But India are not ready to give Nepal a positive start into the campaign.

“We are also here for the trophy,” said Indian captain Nandana Valappil. “We know Nepal will have a great support from the stands, but we are ready for that.”

To be sure, however, Nepal and India are not the only teams competing for the trophy.

Kyrgyzstan skipper Mirklan Kyzy Madina, Kazakhstan’s Netralya Khazova, Bangladesh’s Sabina Khatun, Iran’s Shabnam Alkihani, Sri Lanka’s Ashani Chamodika and the Maldives’ Hawwa Rashidha also shared their team’s desire to win the championship.