Nepali team departs for India to play West Asian Youth Chess Championship

An 18-member Nepali team has departed for India to take part in the West Asian Youth Chess Championship 2026. The tournament will be held in Ahmedabad, in India's Gujarat state, from October 22 to 31.

Raju Tamrakar, spokesperson for the Nepal Chess Federation, saw the team off at Tribhuvan International Airport this morning. The team, led by federation central member Nita Sainju, includes 11 players from various age groups, five guardians and one arbiter.

On the boys' side, Sunav Ojha will compete in the Under-8 category, Shubhang Pradhan in Under-10, and Agrim Sainju in Under-12. Ayush Bhandari and Prabir KC will take part in the Under-14 category.

On the girls' side, Agrata Acharya will play in Under-10, Nihana Shrestha in Under-12, Ujjivani Kandel in Under-14, and Nelisa Ojha in Under-16. Prabish Prajapati will serve as arbiter. Bhawana Amatya, Saraswati Paudel, Sindhira Joshi, Bandana Khadka and Nabina Kutuwal are accompanying the team as guardians.