Hong Kong trail race catapults Nepali girls into sport’s elite, as number of female runners in their homeland continues to grow
Pair who finished in top four in 50km contest, their first outside Nepal, are part of a stable of girls with natural ability for whom running offers an escape from poverty and discrimination
Gender equality is a problem in Nepal, and the situation is especially dire in mountain communities, where a woman is often confined to a “menstrual hut” during her period as she is considered unclean. In rural Nepal, over 80 per cent of women suffer from domestic violence and around half are illiterate. Unsurprisingly, career opportunities are almost non-existent, with the overwhelming majority of women in rural Nepal employed as low-skilled labour, but an unexpected career path has arrived recently – trail running.
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Girls in the Nepali countryside are certainly cast-iron tough, but running is not what a girl is supposed to be doing in Nepal. This perception, however, was shattered by Mira Rai, now a professional runner for the Salomon team whose rise to stardom was documented in award-winning documentary Mira by Hong Kong filmmaker Lloyd Belcher.
The constantly smiling Rai, who radiates confidence and charisma, has become a heroine to her countrymen and a role model to her countrywomen. “The girls in Nepal they now say, wow, I want to be like sister Mira,” she says, in awkward English, giggling delightedly.
Sunmaya Budha and Purna Laxmi Neupane, two shy teenage girls from the hills of central Nepal, have been inspired by Rai. Last December, at the Asian Skyrunning Championships held on Lantau Island, the duo served notice of their potential.
