Sports Governing Bodies of Nepal: Federations Directory

Sport in Nepal operates on a two-tier structure that combines a government regulator with autonomous, sport-specific national federations. At the top sits the National Sports Council (NSC), or Rashtriya Khelkud Parishad, an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Youth and Sports that funds, regulates and coordinates organised sport across the country. Parallel to the NSC is the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC), the National Olympic Committee recognised by the International Olympic Committee, which handles Nepal's participation in the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other multi-sport events.

Beneath these two apex bodies are the recognised national sports federations and associations, each responsible for a single sport or discipline. Federations such as the Cricket Association of Nepal, the All Nepal Football Association and the Nepal Taekwondo Association organise domestic competitions, run national teams and represent Nepal in their respective international federations. Most are affiliated to both the National Sports Council for domestic recognition and to a global governing body such as the International Cricket Council or FIFA.

This directory brings together the durable, verifiable details of these bodies, including when they were established, what they do, who leads them and where to find their official websites. It is intended as a reference for students, sports administrators, applicants and journalists who need a reliable starting point rather than day-to-day news.

The National Sports Council of Nepal (Nepali: राष्ट्रिय खेलकुद परिषद) is the country's apex government sports body. It traces its origins to the late 1950s and was given formal legal status by the National Sports Council Act, 2021 BS (1964 AD). For decades it operated under the Sports Development Act, 2048 BS (1992 AD); this framework was later replaced by the National Sports Development Act, 2077 BS, which was authenticated and enforced in 2020 AD. The NSC functions as an autonomous body corporate under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with the minister serving as its chairperson.

The council's mandate covers the promotion of sports participation, the development of stadiums and training infrastructure, financial and technical support to athletes, the organisation of national and international events, and the framing of sports policy, including anti-doping regulation. The NSC also runs the National Games, Nepal's flagship multi-sport event, and channels government grants to affiliated associations. Its headquarters and the Dasarath Rangasala national stadium are located in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu.

A large number of sport-specific associations and federations are affiliated to the National Sports Council for official recognition, alongside provincial sports councils established under Nepal's federal structure. Recognition by the NSC is generally a prerequisite for a national federation to receive government funding and to send teams abroad under the Nepal flag. The council is administered by a member secretary, who serves as its chief executive, working under the political leadership of the minister-chairperson.

The Nepal Olympic Committee is Nepal's National Olympic Committee, established in 1962 AD and recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 17 October 1963. That recognition allowed Nepalese athletes to make their Olympic debut at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The NOC is also a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

The committee's core role is to select and manage the athletes and teams that represent Nepal at the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, the South Asian Games and other international multi-sport competitions. It promotes the Olympic Movement and its values within Nepal, coordinates with the affiliated Olympic-sport federations and works alongside the National Sports Council rather than under it, since National Olympic Committees are required by the Olympic Charter to remain autonomous from government control.

The NOC's membership is made up of the national federations for Olympic and IOC-recognised sports; around two dozen such federations sit within its structure, covering summer, winter and additional recognised disciplines. Its headquarters are in Satdobato, Lalitpur, in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is the national governing body for cricket, one of Nepal's most popular sports. It was established in 1946 AD (2003 BS), initially serving the Rana-era elite before the game spread more widely after the political changes of 1951. CAN became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1988 and was upgraded to associate membership in 1996. It has been a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) since 1990.

A landmark moment came in June 2018, when the ICC granted Nepal One Day International (ODI) status after the men's team finished among the leading associate nations at the World Cup Qualifier. This gave Nepal full ODI and Twenty20 International recognition and lifted the profile of the sport nationally. CAN organises domestic tournaments, runs the men's, women's and age-group national teams, and manages Nepal's participation in ICC and ACC events.

The association's headquarters and the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground are located at Mulpani in Kathmandu. Like other federations, CAN is affiliated to the National Sports Council for domestic recognition while answering to the ICC internationally. Its leadership is elected by member district and provincial cricket associations, and the presidency changes through periodic elections.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is the governing body of football in Nepal. Founded in 1951, it is one of the country's oldest sports federations. ANFA joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in the early 1970s and became affiliated to FIFA, world football's governing body, in 1972. Through these affiliations ANFA runs the men's and women's national teams and enters Nepal into AFC and FIFA competitions such as World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers.

Domestically, ANFA organises league and cup competitions, oversees clubs and district football associations, and administers referee and coaching development. Its headquarters are at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur, which also houses training facilities and an international-standard football ground used for home internationals.

As with National Olympic Committees, football federations are required by FIFA statutes to operate free of third-party or government interference, and ANFA's relationship with the National Sports Council is one of recognition rather than direct control. Governance disputes and leadership contests have periodically drawn attention to how that independence is maintained. Readers checking current officeholders or any status changes should consult ANFA's official website directly, as these details can change.

The Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) is the governing body for taekwondo and para-taekwondo in Nepal. It was formally registered in 1983 with both the National Sports Council and World Taekwondo, the sport's global federation. Taekwondo is one of Nepal's more successful medal disciplines at the South Asian Games, and the NTA is affiliated to the Nepal Olympic Committee as a body responsible for an Olympic sport. Its base is at the international sports complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur.

Beyond these three, dozens of other national federations and associations sit within Nepal's sports system, each recognised by the National Sports Council and, where the sport is Olympic, by the Nepal Olympic Committee. Examples include the athletics, volleyball (Nepal's national sport), boxing, karate, weightlifting, swimming, table tennis, badminton and wrestling federations. Each follows the same pattern: domestic recognition from the NSC, international affiliation to a world governing body, and elected office-holders.

For applicants, students and journalists, the practical route is to confirm a federation's current recognition and leadership through the National Sports Council's list of affiliated associations and through the federation's own website. Because office-holders are elected for fixed terms and are periodically re-elected or replaced, names and contact details should always be checked against primary sources before they are cited.

Because sports governance details change with each election cycle, it is important to rely on primary sources. The National Sports Council website (nsc.gov.np) publishes a list of affiliated associations and federations, which is the authoritative reference for whether a body is officially recognised in Nepal. For Olympic-sport federations, the Nepal Olympic Committee site lists member federations and their contact points.

Each major federation also maintains its own official website: cricketnepal.org.np for CAN, the-anfa.com for ANFA and taekwondonepal.org.np for the Nepal Taekwondo Association. These are the best places to confirm current presidents, general secretaries, addresses and event calendars. International status, such as ICC or FIFA membership, can be cross-checked on the world body's own membership pages.

When citing a federation in an application, article or academic work, quote the establishment year and legal or affiliation status, which are durable, but treat named office-holders as time-sensitive and confirm them against a dated source. This directory prioritises the facts least likely to change so that it remains reliable over time.