In Nepal, our activities are led by Bal Gopal, the brother of REALE WORLD board member Santos Shafkala. He is joined by FC REALE NEPAL alumni and local football enthusiasts, who work together as coaches to support the children. Today, FC REALE NEPAL has grown to include junior, junior youth, and youth teams, and in 2025, a girls’ team was established. Players from the junior youth and youth teams have gone on to represent Nepal at youth national team level, while others have signed contracts with professional football clubs.

When FC REALE NEPAL was established in 2013, training took place on an open field owned by the local municipality. However, because the surrounding area included rice paddies, stray footballs would sometimes damage the crops, leading to complaints from local residents. As a result, the team was no longer permitted to use the field.

In 2017, we launched a crowdfunding campaign in Japan to build a fence around the ground. Thanks to the generous support of many people, we reached our fundraising goal, and the fence was completed the following year, in 2018.

Today, the REALE Ground is used not only for FC REALE NEPAL’s morning and evening training sessions, but also as a welcoming place where local children can gather, play, and enjoy football freely.

In Nepal, there are relatively few sports tournaments for children. To provide an opportunity for young football players to showcase what they have learned through daily training and to connect with one another, REALE WORLD launched the REALE CUP in 2019.

To help raise the standard of football in Nepal, it is essential to develop not only players but also coaches and referees. With this in mind, Bal Gopal, Head Coach of FC REALE NEPAL, launched coaching and referee training programmes.

The Coaching Course is designed for football coaches and focuses on creating an environment where children can develop their full potential, planning effective training sessions, and fostering the mindset needed to guide young players. The programme began in November 2019. Although it was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are plans to expand it beyond Kathmandu and hold sessions throughout Nepal in cooperation with the Nepal Referee Association.

The Referee Course is led by an active FIFA-licensed referee and is open to FC REALE NEPAL players of high school age and above, as well as local young people with an interest in football. Participants learn the knowledge and practical skills required to become referees. By serving as volunteer referees for children’s matches, they are also introduced to another way of being involved in football beyond becoming professional players.

FC REALE NEPAL has also begun its activities in Ilam, a hilly region in eastern Nepal at an altitude of approximately 1,600 metres, bordering India’s Darjeeling region. Known for its mist-covered tea plantations, breathtaking Himalayan views, and world-famous Ilam tea, the region provides a beautiful setting for this new chapter of our activities.

Here, we hope to create a place where children can grow not only as football players but also as individuals. We hope to create a place where children come to understand themselves, understand and care for others, and learn the importance of discipline. Above all, we hope to nurture people who can live with hope for their lives and for the future.