One of the most successful volleyball clubs of Nepal, New Diamond Academy (NDA), has struck Rs 800,000 sponsorship deal with Shivam Cement for its women’s team on Saturday. 

Shivam Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sajan Devkota and NDA Principal-cum-coach Kumar Rai signed the deal that will make the former a chief sponsor for one year period. 

It is the biggest amount of sponsorship for a volleyball team in the country so far. NDA, in return, will host a flagship event under their sponsors. NDA will now be named Shivam NDA in any domestic or international volleyball tournament they participate in throughout their contract period. The team will also carry logo of Shivam in their jersey. 

“Following the deal, we have been given a challenge to perform even better in the future,” said NDA coach Rai. NDA have ended departmental team’s dominance in women’s domestic volleyball off late. “Our target will be to perform twice better that what we have done in the court so far. Now we must think to become a dominant force in Nepali volleyball.” 

Devkota said that the sponsorship was part of corporate social responsibility and the company was happy to be associated with NDA. He added that lack of professionalism has been a block in the development of Nepali volleyball.

“But sports sector will take stride once corporate houses start making investment. It is a positive start and hopefully this will motivate other corporate houses to support the teams that has been doing better,” said Devkota. 

Nepal Volleyball Association (NVA) General Secretary Jitendra Chand said that the sponsorship was a beginning of new era in Nepali volleyball and NDA were proof that better sides can attract sponsors. NDA are mostly studded with teenage players and have established themselves as formidable teams in women’s volleyball. 

On a back of budding talents, they won four out of seven tournaments played last year. They lifted the titles of NVA Club Championship, APF IGP Cup Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Open National Women’s Volleyball Tournament (Pokhara) and National Women’s Tournament (Kathmandu).