Women’s volleyball is gaining popularity in the country with increasing interest in the annual Women’s Summer Volleyball Championship held since 2017. This year, ten teams from different parts of the country participated in the championship held at the Changlimithang National Volleyball Arena. In the finals played yesterday, the United Ladies of Thimphu emerged victorious, securing three sets to one win over the defending champions, Nganglam Spikers from Pema Gatshel.
The players said that the state of women’s volleyball is improving and they hope to continue contributing to its development.
“We have been playing together for a long time, and most of us are friends from the same school. When it comes to women’s volleyball, I believe we have improved significantly in terms of performance,” said Kezang Pema from United Ladies.
“Up until now, we have been winning back-to-back, but we lost this time. However, that is not a reason to be disheartened because our team was strong. We came from Nganglam because of our interest in volleyball,” said Leki Wangmo from Nganglam Spikers.
According to the Bhutan Volleyball Federation, these events are organised to bring together volleyball enthusiasts and provide them with opportunities to participate.
“If you look at their skills, they are much better compared to last year. In the past, not many people would come to watch women’s matches, and the players didn’t have much talent either. Now, the standards of volleyball have improved, and many youths are also joining. There are more participants and a larger audience compared to last year,” said Ugyen Dorji, programme officer at Bhutan Volleyball Federation.
These events are crucial, for women especially, as they provide an opportunity to showcase their skills, proving they can deliver exciting matches that showcase outstanding sportsmanship in women’s sports.
Tenzin Loday Gyeltshen
Edited by Sonam Pem
