KATHMANDU: Nepali national volleyball team today left for Assam to participate in the ninth Bodoland Martyrs Gold Cup Volleyball Championship slated for December 2-4.

The tour is part of Nepal's preparation for the 11th South Asian Games scheduled for January 29 to February 9 in Dhaka next year. The national team will get the opportunity to test themselves playing against the seven top flight clubs of India in the three-day tournament. "India are so far rated as the best team among the South Asian nations and therefore we are looking at it as a pre SA Games event," said Nepali skipper Bharat Shah.

"We have been practising together for a long time now and it would be easier for us to coordinate well in the upcoming SA Games," added Shah. Kailash Dutta Bhatta, Jhom Bahadur Thapa, Sunil Kumar Shrestha, Saroj Shrestha, Khushi Chaudhary, Ramananda Shingh, Prem Bahadur Shahi, Roman Shrestha, Sanjaya Aryal, Tahal Singh Thapa Magar and Im Bahadur Magar are among the 12-member squad playing in the tournament.

Keshav Lal Shrestha and Jayanta Bahadur Chand are the coaches for the Nepali team. Team manager Lila Bahadar Thapa also accompanied the team to Assam. National Sports Council (NSC) Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary bade farewell to the team here today.