Pokhara, 16 February | A ward-level volleyball tournament involving the former Majhthana and Kalika areas has officially commenced in Pokhara-28, organized by the local Dhunge Than Youth Club. The sporting event was inaugurated by the Chairperson of Madi Rural Municipality, Devi Jung Gurung, who emphasized that development is a continuous process and that sports play a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing the hidden talents of the youth. Addressing the gathering, Chairman Gurung highlighted the necessity of engaging the younger generation in social activities to foster community growth. Recalling his own days as a volleyball player, he stressed that all stakeholders must unite to promote the agricultural and tourism potential of the Majhthana and Kalika regions. He further pledged that Madi Rural Municipality remains committed to collaborating with and supporting the club in its future social and developmental endeavors.
According to the tournament coordinator, Suresh Acharya, the competition features ten participating teams, with Madi Rural Municipality serving as the main sponsor and the Pokhara-28 Ward Office as the co-sponsor. On the opening day of the tournament, three teams—former Majhthana Ward No. 1, former Majhthana-4 Naurung, and former Majhthana Ward No. 8—successfully secured their spots in the semifinals. Coordinator Acharya informed that the remaining semifinal matches and the grand finale are scheduled to take place this coming Sunday. Club President Manmohan Adhikari clarified that while the tournament is traditionally held during the Fagu Purnima festival, it was rescheduled this year to coincide with Maha Shivaratri due to the upcoming general elections. He also shared the club’s future objective of establishing a Shiva Temple in Dhunge Than and urged the ward office to allocate a budget in the next fiscal year for the construction of a high-standard sports ground to benefit both players and spectators.
During the ceremony, Mangal Bahadur Nepali, Chairman of the Danda Gaon Tole Development Organization, spoke about the vital link between sports, physical health, and discipline, urging participants to play with true sportsmanship. He remarked that the youth club is a shared community institution and assured that the Tole Development Organization would extend its full cooperation to the club’s initiatives. The event, which began with a welcome speech by club advisor Chitra Bahadur Nepali, also saw expressions of gratitude toward Nepalis living abroad whose financial contributions were instrumental in organizing the tournament. Presided over by Manmohan Adhikari, the program was conducted by club member and secretary Maheshwar Adhikari. The organizers hope that such localized tournaments will eventually produce national-level athletes who can represent the region with pride.
