Queens Event Management announces Women’s Champions League for April

Managing Director of Queens Event Management Chhumbi Lama (third from right) speaks as others look on during a press meet of Women’s Champions League in Kathmandu on Thursday. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, February 14

Queens Event Management announced the Women’s Champions League, the city-based franchise cricket tournament for women cricketers, here today.

The tournament, which will be participated in by five franchise teams, will be held at the TU Stadium from April 5-13, informed Managing Director of Queens Event Management Chhumbi Lama at a press meet. Queens Event Management had organised its first event — Pokhara Premier League — last year.

According to the organisers, the participating five teams will play against each other in the league round and the top two sides will advance to the final.

“Queens Event Management will organise two events every year and the WCL is one of them. We are working on the names of the teams and prize money,” said Lama. “We will either have auction for players or pick them through draft.”

ICC representative in Nepal and former CEO of Cricket Association of Nepal Bhawana Ghimire said she was excited with the tournament.

“Even our neighbouring country India does not have such league for women cricketers,” said Ghimire. “I will do whatever I can for the success of the tournament.”

Former national team skipper and head coach of women’s team Binod Das said Nepal’s cricket was on the rise. “Both the men and women teams are doing well at the moment. We cannot play good cricket in international stage without having proper domestic set up,” said Das. “WCL is the need of the hour in women’s cricket and I would like to thank the organisers for coming up with the idea. If we can manage at least two to three such tournaments in a year, I believe our girls can qualify for World Cup,” he added.

National women’s team skipper Rubina Chhetri Belbase was equally excited after the announcement of the WCL. “I am sure the tournament will provide the players with much needed exposure and this event will be the ice-breaking one in Nepali women’s cricket,” she said. “The tournament will help the players hone their skills and I believe such events will help Nepal go all the way to World Cup some day,” added Belbase.

National men’s team head coach Jagat Tamatta said the tournament would help women cricketers. “Every player wants to represent the nation in World Cup and the WCL can be the first step towards fulfilling women cricketers’ dreams of reaching the biggest stage,” he said. National team skipper Paras Khadka said the women cricketers were also capable of reaching higher stage.

“The women’s team can reach the level of our men’s side. They just need platform and I urge everyone involved to support the tournament selflessly,” said Khadka.

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