The Ncell 6th Tiger Cup National and International Invitational Open Club Championship Women's and Men's Volleyball Tournament, organized by Tiger Group of Pokhara Nepal, is starting from Friday at the Pokhara Stadium.

All preparations for the tournament, which will be held until 17th Magh, have been completed. The organizers have stated that a total of 11 teams, including 6 for men and 5 for women, will participate in the tournament. Since foreign teams will also participate in this sixth edition of the tournament, it is expected to become a special attraction for Nepali volleyball lovers. In this context, an edited excerpt of a conversation between Narayan Prasad Sharma, the chairman of the organizing organization Tiger Group of Pokhara Nepal, Deepak Pariyar for Kantipur: Tiger Cup has already created a strong brand and identity by the time it reaches its sixth edition. Looking back from the first edition to now, what has made this year's tournament more special and grand?

With volleyball becoming a national sport, we have reached the sixth edition today. Ncell has been supporting us as the main sponsor since the fifth edition. Gandaki Province is a fertile land for volleyball, so many female and male players have been produced from this court. If we look at the history of yesterday, many female players including Sipora Gurung, Manju Gurung, Aruna Shahi, Pratiksha Gurung and many players including Bal Bahadur Shrestha, Balram Gurung, Safal Bik have been successful in reaching the international level by playing on this court.

As we reach the sixth edition, we have tried to establish it as a brand by making it time and technology friendly. Actually, even though volleyball is a game played indoors, we have now organized it outdoors (open field). The leadership of the Central President of the Volleyball Association (Jitendra Bahadur Chand) has closely monitored this competition and has taken it to FIVB and KABA. Tiger Group has proven that the national game of volleyball can be played outdoors equally magnificently.

If it were not for the Gen-G movement in Bhadau, the Kabha women's volleyball tournament would have been held outdoors in Tundikhel instead of in the Nakhep Covered Hall, but due to technical reasons, it was stopped and is now being held in the Maldives. This has confirmed that volleyball is also possible outdoors.

This time we have also improved the physical structure. Permanent and temporary parapets have been added to make the seating arrangements for the spectators more comfortable and relaxed. We have invited international referees to make the game dispute-free. The main feature this time is that we have arranged for an international referee to be the 'first referee' and a national referee to be the 'second referee', which will reduce technical errors and disputes. We have also given special emphasis on technical meetings where all players, coaches and managers remain within discipline and rules.

This year, Thailand is also fielding the women's team and the Maldives' team in the men's team. What impact do you expect the arrival of international teams to have on the ‘exposure’ of Nepali players and the technical level of the competition?

In terms of ranking, the Maldives men’s national team and Thailand women’s team are participating. Our main objective is for Nepali players to learn the playing style, strategy and position of foreign players by watching them closely. It is difficult to get an opportunity to play with international teams from the government level alone, so when private sector organizations take such an initiative, it boosts the morale of the players. It also strengthens the emotional bond and coordination between the players of the two countries. In the seventh edition, we are determined to raise the level of Nepali volleyball by bringing in even better teams.

The current economic situation of the country is somewhat complicated and you have estimated a budget of about 18 million for the competition. How challenging was it to involve the private sector and sponsors in sports at such a time?

Fundraising is certainly a complex issue. Maintaining transparency in that is even more important. But I am happy that Tiger Group Pokhara is the first party, Kantipur Media Group is the second party and Sushri Media Pvt. Ltd. is the third party. Even when the country's economic situation is in a shambles, various corporate houses and supporting hands have spontaneously supported the Tiger Cup by trusting it. There is also some investment from the federal, provincial and local governments. However, we wish that the state would have managed the budget while a club was doing the work that the government should have done.

Tiger Group has announced that it will invest the remaining amount from the competition in health, education and social sectors. Why did you see the need for this?

Our organization's statute includes health, education and sports. Our group of 70-75 people includes experts from various fields. While continuing volleyball, we organize a heart camp every year. Cardiologist Dr. Surya Devkota, Govinda Puri of Security and other personalities are involved in this. Our priority is to provide free health care to parents in remote areas, help those deprived of education, and also contribute to the religious sector.