KATHMANDU, Nepal — The CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026 officially opened Friday at the NSC Indoor Hall in Kathmandu, bringing together eight national teams from across Central Asia and South Asia for the regional tournament.

Participating teams include Bangladesh, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The tournament will run through May 29 in the Nepalese capital.

The championship began with an opening ceremony highlighting Nepal’s culture and the spirit of regional unity through sport. Officials from the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) and the Nepal Volleyball Association joined athletes, coaches and fans to formally open the competition.

Iran opened Pool B play with a dominant straight-sets victory over Bangladesh, 25-6, 25-9, 25-10. Fatemeh Khalili Chermahini and Sepinood Dastbarjan led Iran’s offense as the team secured maximum points with a commanding performance.

Host nation Nepal then pushed India to five sets in one of the most competitive matches of the opening day before India emerged with a 3-2 victory. India won 25-21, 20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-9 behind strong performances from Shilpa Rajendrandnair Sindhu and Anagha Radhakrishnan. Nepal’s Sunar Mina and Regmi Sumitra led the hosts in front of an energetic home crowd.

In the final match of the day, Kyrgyzstan defeated Maldives in straight sets, 25-19, 25-16, 25-22, to move to the top of the Pool A standings.

Following the opening day, Kyrgyzstan and India lead Pool A, while Iran tops Pool B after its opening victory.

Competition continues Saturday at the NSC Indoor Hall with Kazakhstan facing Sri Lanka at 12:00 p.m., India taking on Maldives at 2:30 p.m., and Nepal meeting Kyrgyzstan at 5:00 p.m.

The CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026 continues through the week in Kathmandu as teams compete for regional honors and strengthen sporting ties across the region.