KATHMANDU: The first National Volleyball Men’s and Women’s League Championships begins here from Sunday.

A total of 18 teams —11 in men’s and seven in women’s section — will vie for championships. The tournament has also been taken as the basis of players’ selection for the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) slated for January 29 to February 9 in Dhaka next year, said the Nepal Volleyball Association (NVA), here at a press meet today.

Meanwhile, the NVA has granted permission to Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Club to participate in the tournament even after 16 teams were finalised.

The PLA has registered their teams in both the categories.

The men’s team of PLA has

been drawn in preliminary league round against Eastern Region, Central Region, Mid-Western Region, Far-Western Region, Jawalakhel Volleyball Club and Employment Creation Service (ECS) Club.

Top two teams from the seven-team preliminary league will

join Nepal Police Club, Tribhuvan Army Club, Nepal Armed

Police Force (APF) Club and

Ex-Bagar Club of Pokhara in

the Super League.

The women’s league comprises of PLA , NPC and a team each from the five development regions.

Army participation uncertain

KATHMANDU: The row between Nepali Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flared up yet again as Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) returned without confirming their participation in the first National Volleyball Men’s and Women’s League Championships.

The Army club, who withdrew from five disciplines

participated in by the PLA during the fifth National Games in April, once again look set to avoid clashing

with PLA. The PLA have to qualify for the Super League as one of the two teams from seven-team preliminary league to ascertain meeting with the TAC. TAC are already in the Super League.

Although the TAC has not made their stance clear as yet, the recent turn of the event indicates uncertainty of their participation.

“The Army club came to register yesterday (Friday) with the final list of players

but no sooner they learnt about PLA’s participation, they returned back,” said NVA President, Ganga Bahadur Thapa. — HNS