Income Sources for National Athletes in Nepali Sports

Recently, the Cricket Association of Nepal revised its players’ ‘central contracts,’ promoting Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Sandeep Lamichhane to the ‘A Plus’ category with a monthly salary of NPR 120,000. This is considered a substantial monthly income for athletes within the context of Nepali sports. While other sports federations have been unable to offer similar benefits to national athletes—resulting in increased athlete migration—the discussion around professionalizing players has resurfaced.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) was the first to offer monthly salaries to national team players before the Cricket Association of Nepal. Likewise, the Volleyball Association of Nepal had provided monthly salaries to key players for a limited period. But how do athletes from other sports sustain themselves? Is the lack of regular income prompting them to go abroad? Such questions are increasingly being raised.

ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai explained, “It is not the federation that directly pays salaries; clubs provide the salaries. The payment from ANFA is more like a bonus or incentive.” Globally, few sports federations provide monthly stipends; instead, many countries compensate national athletes through central contracts, match fees, bonuses, and awards. Within Nepal, ANFA is recognized as the first federation to start monthly salary payments to national players, initiating NPR 1,500 per month from 1995 and raising it to NPR 2,000 after five years.

The Cricket Association of Nepal has paid monthly salaries since 2014, adapting over time. Meanwhile, the Volleyball Association of Nepal had been giving the national men’s and women’s teams NPR 5,000 per month two years ago, funded by passionate volleyball supporters living in the United States. However, this initiative was not sustainable long-term, and the federation now plans to provide salaries independently. Federation Secretary Roshan Shrestha stated, “The payments were made possible by the support of 40 volleyball enthusiasts in the U.S., but now we must take the initiative ourselves as it was not permanent.”

How do players earn? Globally, only a few sports such as football, cricket, and rugby provide athletes with monthly salaries under central contracts.