Kathmandu: The first edition of the ‘Unseen Champions: Inclusive Championship with Deaf Girls,’ a football initiative targeting young deaf female athletes from the Central Secondary School for the Deaf, Naxal, concluded on Saturday. The project combined elements of technical coaching and football equipment that the players were lacking together with a series of intensive football camps. Materials and equipment to better enable young female players to feel comfortable and confident at training and playing in the school premises were provided.
Since the month of October, more 30 young deaf football players undertook over 12 intensive training camps run by coaches, Mahesh Rai, Arun Gurung and Samir Kadka. The athletes received all essential equipment in order to have at their disposal a functional changing room, something that was missing. Lockers, benches, clothes hangers were installed in a specifically designed room within the school’s premises. The tournament that capped three intensive months of activities saw the participation of four teams composed by deaf girls and three non-deaf young national players, Sabina, Rina and Dikshya who inspired and supported their team players. Deaf Empower Team reached the final by winning Stars Deaf team.
The initiative, implemented by Together for Nepal, a national NGO with the technical support of ENGAGE Nepal, was supported by CBM Global Disability Inclusion, an international organization working in Nepal for more than 40 years to promote the rights of persons with disabilities by empowering them through various means. “Such event brings hidden talents to the forefront, provides an opportunity for these players to grow, improve their sportsmanship, and continue building their football careers, proving that deaf athletes are equally capable of bringing pride to Nepal through international tournaments in the future” said Rajan Bhattarai, Country director of CBM Global Disability Inclusion. Subhasan Bhattarai, Founder and Director of Together for Nepal, said the initiative reflects a small but important step toward inclusion, empowerment, and equal access to development opportunities.
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