Fourteen teams, one muddy pitch: a season of girls’ football in Dhangadhi

Our girls’ football league finished its second season in Chaitra. Fourteen ward teams, thirty-one matches, one pitch that flooded twice, and a final watched by more people than the ward assembly.

The honest numbers: boots and kits for fourteen teams cost more than the rest of the league combined. Referees were volunteer teachers. First aid was one nurse and a motorbike.

The result we care about is quieter than the final score. Schools in the participating wards reported that girls’ attendance on training days is the highest of the week. Two players were selected for the provincial under-17 trials.

Next season we want a second pitch and proper goalposts. If your organisation has run a similar programme, we’d genuinely like to compare notes — our contact details are on our listing.