Kathmandu, Sept. 1 -- In Jyamire, Sindhupalchowk, where playgrounds were scarce and girls playing football drew stares, Karina Puri used to walk through a forest with a torchlight. She started her hour-long journey to Melamchi Bazaar while it was still dark, facing cold mornings and the quiet of the woods. This routine marked the start of her life in sports-a practice motivated more by necessity than ambition at the time.

In Puri's village, girls rarely played sports. She recalls being among the few who went onto the football field, usually wearing her favourite jersey with the number 10. "I love Lionel Messi," she says, "but only the boys' team was sent during inter-school tournaments. I didn't get a chance to compete."

That gap led he...