NEPALGUNJ:  The Lumbini Cup Women’s Football Tournament is to be held here from coming March 3 to 13. The tournament is being organized in collaboration with Antaral and Banke District Football Association.

Chairperson of Banke District Football Association, Bhojraj Shahi shared that the tournament is going to be held with the hope of reviving women’s football in Banke.

He said that this competition is going to be held with the goal of grooming women footballers. Shahi, who is also a central member of ANFA, recalled the history of women footballers in Banke and informed that the necessary preparations have been started for the Lumbini Cup women’s football tournament. “Selection, training and other programmes will be conducted at all local levels”, he said.

He said that before the competition, Women’s Football Mayor’s Cup is also going to be organized in Nepalgunj. Jaya Narayan Shah, the executive head of the organizing committee, mentioned that the preparations for the tournament have been started and said that accommodation, food and transportation of the players and officials have been prioritized.

A secretariat has also been established at the Nepalgunj Stadium for organizing the tournament.

Eight clubs including two from India and six from Nepal will participate in the first edition of the Lumbini Cup. The logo of the tournament was jointly unveiled by Rama Singh, the first captain of the Nepali National Women’s Football Team, and Angela Tumbapo Subba, the current captain.

The logo features Lord Gautam Buddha, the image of a player and the blue and purple colors of the Nepali national flag.