Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Seven Nepali mothers departed for Loutraki, Greece, on Monday to participate in the CSIT World Sports Games.
The event marks the first women’s World Cup for Catch’n Serve Ball game and the eighth international tournament for the sport.
Four players are traveling from Nepal, while three, currently employed in Israel, will join the team in Greece.
Talking to Himal Press, a member of the team said they were representing Nepal on their own initiative, as the sport is not widely known in the country. The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council have just started the registration process for this sport, according to the participants. They added that the registration process was advanced in the initiation of the former ambassador to Israel, Anjan Shakya.
Mala Khanal, one of the members of the Nepali team, said they were proud to represent Nepal in the international arena. “I see this sport gaining a strong foothold in Nepal,” Khanal said. “We went abroad to earn for our children in the past. Now, with our children abroad and feeling alone here, we are motivated to contribute to the nation through such sports.”
Participants say the sport helps them step out of household routines and maintain physical fitness.
Popular among middle-aged groups, this game involves catching and throwing a ball over a net on a standard volleyball court. Unlike volleyball, players catch the ball with both hands and typically make up to three passes within their team before throwing it back.
Mala Khanal, Bisu Pandey, Kadambari Dana Shrestha, Nirmala Gurung, Lamu Almog, Dina Neupane, and Pabitra Dhakal are in the Nepali team. Of them, Almog, Neupane and Dhakal will travel directly from Israel to Greece.
The tournament will run from June 3 to 8, 2025, in Loutraki, Greece. A total of 35 teams from 18 countries are participating in the event.
