KATHMANDU: An U-16 inter-school basketball tournament is set to begin in Kathmandu on Monday. The event is jointly organised by the Nepal Basketball Association, Nepalaya International, and PABSON, featuring 40 teams from across the country.
The competition will take place at the National Sports Council covered hall in Tripureshwor and will run until Sept. 29. During a press conference, Nepalaya International President Subhash Chandra Pradhan stated that the tournament aims to institutionalise the development of basketball and integrate school-level talent into the mainstream of national sports.
PABSON Deputy General Secretary and extracurricular activities coordinator Bhuwan Lal Shrestha emphasised that the event is designed to foster discipline, leadership, teamwork, and healthy competition among students. He said, ‘The objective is to contribute to the long-term development of basketball in Nepal by fostering discipline, leadership skills, teamwork, healthy competition, and a sports culture among players.’
A primary goal of the tournament is to identify and nurture young talent. Players who demonstrate exceptional potential will be selected for further training and evaluation to build a future national squad. Pradhan noted that the organisers are prioritising the formation of a competitive U-16 national team to represent Nepal in upcoming South Asian Games. He said, ‘The objective of preparing a capable U-16 national team from the identified and developed talented players to represent Nepal in the upcoming South Asian Games has been prioritised.’
