Nepal's Women's CP Football Team: A Historic Journey and Event

The IFCPF Asia-Oceania Men's and Women's Championships, also referred to as the Para Asian Cup, recently took place in Australia. The event concluded with Australia triumphing over Japan 2-0 in the Women's Final, and Iran defeating Australia with an identical score in the Men's Final. However, for Nepal and its citizens, the primary focus was on their Women's Team's participation and scoring a goal during the championship. The Nepali women's team competed in two matches - against Australia and Japan. They faced defeat in both games, losing 6-0 to Australia and 15-1 to Japan. Nevertheless, they made history by scoring their first-ever goal against Japan. The experience of participating in their inaugural international cerebral palsy (CP) football match was invaluable for the Nepali team.

To those who may not be familiar, this particular tournament is designed for athletes who have cerebral palsy or an acquired brain injury. It serves as a team sport that can be enjoyed recreationally or pursued competitively at various levels, such as club, national, regional, and international. Each team consists of seven or five players generally and the game is divided into two halves, each lasting 30 minutes. The playing field and goalposts are smaller in size compared to standard dimensions.

Shova Dahal serves as the President of the Nepal Cerebral Palsy Football Union. Upon registering their organization in Nepal four months prior, they discovered the chance to participate in CP football championships in Australia. Dahal shared with SBS Nepali that a group of five eager women athletes convened within a short period and traveled to Australia to represent their country.

Katrina Hicks holds the position of General Manager of Fundraising for the Pararoos and ParaMatildas at Football Australia. She believes that sports are an incredible medium for promoting inclusion, diversity, and talent showcase while ensuring everyone feels cherished and valued. Being able to organize this tournament and host Nepal's Women Team for their first-ever event fills her with pride, anticipating their future accomplishments.

Binu Thapa, Nirmaya Magar, Ranjana Dhami, Rewati Karki, and Sabina Parajuli had the honor of representing Nepal at this first IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship presented by Football Australia. Ranjana Dhami, a 30-year-old para-athlete from Nepal, scored their team's only goal in the game against Japan. Dhami emphasizes the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, particularly women, to become involved in sports due to a lack of support from their government. "Not all of us on the team are trained in football. Some were not even athletes. They learned the basic skills days before our match," she explained.

Rewati Karki, aged 29, advocates for cerebral palsy awareness, disability rights, and female empowerment in Nepal. "I wasn't aware that sports existed for individuals like me with cerebral palsy. Knowledge about CP is limited in Nepal, even among health professionals," Karki revealed.

Ms. Dahal asserts that people with disabilities require more government support in Nepal. She considers the women's team's participation in the championship a privilege and learning opportunity, especially considering the current state of men's sports in their country. Dahal disclosed that they learned about the event through personal connections rather than governmental channels, and that they financed their trip using personal funds instead of receiving any financial assistance from the government.