Fikkal’s Female and Male Teams Advance to U-17 National Rugby Semifinals
According to reports, both the women’s and men’s teams from the host, Fikkal Rural Municipality, have successfully secured their spots in the semifinals of the Second Shikhar Dhakal Memorial U-17 T-7 Rugby tournament. In the men’s category, Golbazar Municipality and Budhanilkantha Municipality advanced as group winners, setting up a semifinal clash between Fikkal and Katari. On the women’s side, Budhanilkantha Municipality and Katari Municipality won their groups, while Fikkal and Tokha, as runners-up, also qualified for the semifinals. (October 12, Kathmandu)
The Second Shikhar Dhakal Memorial U-17 T-7 Men’s and Women’s National Rugby Tournament, organized by Fikkal Rural Municipality in Sindhuli, saw two teams from Fikkal advance to the semifinals. After the league stage matches concluded on Sunday at Khangsang, Sindhuli, the semifinalists were finalized. In the men’s Group A, Golbazar Municipality topped the group with Fikkal as the runner-up. Golbazar defeated Tokha 1–0, Fikkal drew 1–1 against Golbazar, and Fikkal secured a 2–1 victory over Tokha.
In women’s Group A, Budhanilkantha Municipality emerged as group winners and Tokha Municipality as runners-up. Budhanilkantha achieved one win and one draw, while Tokha drew both matches. In Group B, Katari Municipality topped the group with Fikkal as runner-up. Both teams registered one win and one draw; Katari defeated Lumbini Municipality 6–0, whereas Fikkal won 2–0 against Lumbini.
The semifinals, third-place playoff, and final matches are scheduled for the coming Monday. This tournament, organized by Fikkal Rural Municipality and managed by the Nepal Rugby Association, began on Sunday. Prize money includes NPR 30,000 for the champions, NPR 20,000 for runners-up, and NPR 10,000 for the third-place team, along with trophies, medals, and certificates. Outstanding players from both categories will also receive trophies and cash awards, as stated by the organizers. The opening ceremony featured a joint ball handover to referees by Nepal Rugby Association President Deepak Devkota and Fikkal Rural Municipality Chairperson Parvati Sunuwar.
At the inauguration, Fikkal Rural Municipality Deputy Chief Raju Baral expressed commitment to consistently support the development of sports, including rugby, in the local area. He highlighted that despite Fikkal being referred to as the ‘Karnali’ of the district in terms of geography and development, continuous assistance will be provided for sports advancement. Nepal Rugby Association President Devkota thanked Fikkal Rural Municipality for hosting the event and expressed confidence that such tournaments will be regularly held. The tournament features participation from five men’s teams and six women’s teams.