The fourth RBB NVA National Men’s Club League Volleyball Championship has been scheduled for December 16-22 at the Pokhara Stadium.

The tournament will be played under single round robin league featuring eight teams, informed Nepal Volleyball Association general secretary Jeetendra Bahadur Chand on Sunday. “We are yet to finalise on the modality of the final which we can finalise after consultation with participating teams and officials,” said Chand.

Chand said they had to take the event to Pokhara due to the unavailability of National Sports Council covered hall in Tripureswor which is currently undergoing renovation. Along with three departmental teams—Nepal Police Club, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club, Tribhuvan Army Club—, Help Nepal Sports Club, Mani Mukunda Volleyball Club (Butwal), Jawalakhel Volleyball Training Centre, Dhorpatan Training Centre and Nayabajar Youth Club are in fray for the title. Each team will be able to recruit three foreigner players in the team.

The winner and the runner-up will get Rs 200,000 and Rs 100,000 respectively while the third and fourth-place finishers will receive Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000. The best player of the tournament will get Rs 25,000 while best players in five positions—libero, serve, block, lift and spike—and best coach will receive Rs 5,000 each. The expected cost of the tournament is Rs 2.1 million.

It is the second and final year the tournament is being organised under sponsorship of Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB). RBB had struck Rs 2 million annual sponsorship deal with NVA to run the men’s and women’s club championships for two years. RBB chief executive Kiran Kumar Shrestha said that the contract was in renewal process.

“We have signed the sponsorship agreement as per the responsibility of government bank to support the national game of the country. The board is positive on renewing the contract,” he said.