The grand spectacle of the FIFA World Cup has just ended, and my mind is still racing along with the strikes of the ball on the field. The difficult geography of Achham, the adverse weather here, and the struggle to watch the matches while battling frequent power outages and internet disruptions in the middle of the night have all become normal for me. Whether it’s the biting cold of winter or the flickering electricity during the monsoon, overcoming all these natural and physical obstacles to watch the game on screen is, for me, an expression of my love for sports.

When Nepal’s shining star in women’s football, Sabitra Bhandari (Samba), rains goals on the opponent’s post, or when the emerging talented cricketer Pooja Mahato stands at the crease and leads her team, I feel as if I am right there on the field, playing the game myself.

I have countless experiences regarding how easily—or not—our society accepts this passion. The environment of our villages, the burden of fieldwork, and the narrow social boundaries that confine a girl’s world within the four walls of the kitchen have not yet fully changed. While men can easily go out at night, gather in crowds, and enjoy the game on big screens, it is still very difficult to even imagine such an environment for women. For daughters, that is, for women, the freedom to play sports like men or to stay out late and enjoy the excitement is not easily available. But just because there are boundaries of discomfort does not mean that we do not watch, understand, or deeply feel the game—thinking so is itself a narrow mindset.

Whether it’s the Cricket World Cup or the grand festival of football, the craze of Nepal’s much-anticipated NPL, the excitement of India’s IPL, or the thrilling clashes of world-famous clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Liverpool—I watch almost all the games with great interest. When the game is on, the strategic movements on the field stir my mind as well. After that, I express my feelings on social media. But the strange thing is, whenever a girl writes or speaks about sports, an invisible fog of distrust appears in the eyes of many friends and men in society.

This very patriarchal mindset leads them to test my knowledge. They try to cross-check me on every moment and rule of the game. They ask questions—what is offside in football? How are free kicks and penalties awarded? What happens on the field after a red card? And there’s an even longer list of those who ask about cricket rules—what is a wide ball, no ball, catch out, bowled, over, spinner, and fast bowler—trying to measure my capability.

I am neither the only nor the first woman to be questioned about how much I understand the rules of the game. Many sisters like me are facing this social questioning. Perhaps I am not the only victim of such questions; many rural women who love sports are experiencing the same.

Society has always tried to confine women’s intellect and physical abilities within the four walls of the home, fieldwork, and the kitchen. When we look at this narrow understanding in the context of sports, its ugly picture becomes clear. Many believe that sports are a domain of physical strength, sweat, and exclusively for men. But this is just their superficial and prejudiced thinking. Sports are not just about physical strength; they are a wonderful blend of strategy, subtle understanding, patience, and beauty.

Whether it’s mapping out passing strategies on the football field or the mental chess between batsman and bowler on the cricket pitch, these require intellectual ability and knowledge of the game more than physical strength. When even the big referees and experts running on the field are confused about the rules, no one has the right to question the knowledge of thousands of women like me who sit in front of the TV and feel the soul of the game.

This digital age of technology and the internet has brought a small revolution in the lives of women in rural areas. Technology has connected women, once confined within the four walls of the home, to the outside world. In the rural settlements of Sudurpaschim and Karnali, the comparatively low number of women who watch and openly celebrate sports is due to unequal internet access, deeply rooted patriarchal thinking, and tight social restrictions.

If a boy’s upbringing begins with sports, freedom, and playing in the dust of the field, a girl’s upbringing starts with invisible chores, responsibilities, and the burden of fieldwork at home. This unequal upbringing from childhood suppresses or nurtures a person’s interests.

Even though there is a tradition of gathering outside to watch big finals on large screens, major events like the World Cup usually fall in the middle of the night according to Nepal’s time. In that midnight darkness, it is certainly not easy for women to go out with the crowd and watch the game all night, and I do not feel safe in such an environment. When I feel unsafe, I withdraw and stay within the four walls of my own room. Even if I cannot go out and shout with the crowd, who can take away my autonomy to sit in my room, watch on a small screen on my mobile or laptop, and leap with joy inside when a goal is scored at midnight?