Sports

Nepali indigenous sports, such as dandi biyo and kabaddi, which were once considered unofficial national sports, are still popular in rural areas. Despite efforts, standardization and development of dandi biyo have not been accomplished, and Kabaddi as a professional sport in Nepal is still in its infancy. Bagh-Chal, an ancient board game thought to have originated in Nepal, is still popular today and can be played on chalk-drawn boards with pebbles. Popular games include ludo, snakes and ladders, and carrom.

In 2017, volleyball was designated as Nepal's national sport. Tag, knucklebones, hopscotch, Duck, duck, goose, and lagori are popular children's games, while marbles, top, hoop rolling, and gully cricket are popular among boys. Rubber bands, or ranger bands cut from bike tyre tubes, can be bunched or chained together and used to play dodgeball, cat's cradle, jianzi, and a variety of skipping rope games by Nepali children.

Football and cricket are two of the most popular professional sports. Nepal competes in South Asian football but has never won the SAFF championships, the regional tournament. Basketball, volleyball, futsal, wrestling, competitive bodybuilding, and badminton are also popular sports. Women have achieved success in football, cricket, athletics, martial arts, badminton, and swimming. Nepal also fields players and national teams in a number of tournaments for disabled people, most notably men's and women's blind cricket.