The Nepal Athletics Association (NAA) is the official national governing body for athletics (track and field) in Nepal. Tasked with organizing, promoting, and regulating athletics competitions and athlete development, NAA plays a critical role in representing Nepal in regional and global athletics events, including the Olympics, Asian Games, and South Asian Games.

Overview

• Full Name: Nepal Athletics Association

• Abbreviation: NAA

• Founded: 1956

• Headquarters: Satdobato, Lalitpur, Nepal

• Affiliated With:

  • World Athletics (formerly IAAF)

  • Asian Athletics Association (AAA)

  • Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC)

• President: Ramesh Kumar Silwal (as of latest term)

• Primary Role: Governance and development of athletics in Nepal — including track, field, cross-country, and road running

Mission and Objectives

 Mission:

To develop and promote athletics as a core sport in Nepal, from grassroots to elite level, and to produce athletes capable of competing internationally.

 Objectives:

• Organize national athletics competitions and championships

• Select and train athletes for international representation

• Build coaching, officiating, and sports science capacity

• Promote athletics at school, college, and provincial levels

• Develop infrastructure including synthetic tracks and high-altitude training centers

National Competitions Organized by NAA

• National Athletics Championship (annual)

• Inter-Province Athletics Meet

• Nepal Junior and Youth Athletics Championships

• Armed Forces Athletics Meets (in collaboration with army, police, and APF clubs)

• Open and Invitational Cross-Country Events in hilly and mountainous terrain

Athlete Development and Training

NAA works to identify, train, and support athletes across disciplines such as:

• Track: 100m, 200m, 400m, hurdles, relays

• Distance: 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m

• Marathon and Half-Marathon

• Field Events: Long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin

• Mountain and trail running – uniquely strong in Nepal due to geography

Key Facilities

• Dasarath Stadium – Main athletics track (synthetic)

• Pokhara Stadium and Satdobato Training Center – Used for regional training

• Ongoing partnerships to build synthetic tracks in other provinces

International Representation

NAA selects athletes for participation in:

• Olympic Games (via NOC and wild card entries)

• Asian Athletics Championships

• South Asian Games (SAG)

• World Athletics Championships

• World Cross Country Championships

Notable Achievements

• Baikuntha Manandhar – 4-time Olympian and 3-time South Asian Games marathon gold medalist

• Gopi Chandra Parki, Saraswati Chaudhary, Santoshi Shrestha – Recent marathon and long-distance specialists

• Steady growth in female representation and youth performance levels

Challenges and Development Goals

Challenges

• Limited funding and sponsorship

• Shortage of modern training infrastructure outside the capital

• Lack of full-time sports science support for elite athletes

Development Goals

• Build more regional high-altitude training centers

• Upgrade facilities in Province-level stadiums

• Expand youth development programs and school partnerships

• Develop certified coaches and officials across the country

Trivia

• Nepal is one of the few countries where mountain running and altitude training are naturally integrated into athlete preparation.

• Baikuntha Manandhar’s record of three consecutive South Asian Games gold medals in marathon still stands as a national feat.

• NAA supports the development of adaptive athletics in partnership with Para-sports organizations.