A Reunion Sports Day With College Friends in Kathmandu

You graduated five years ago. Half the group is now in Sydney, two are in Bangalore, one runs a cafe in Pokhara. Everyone is back in Kathmandu for a wedding in October, and the WhatsApp group has agreed: one afternoon of sports, no excuses. Now you're the organizer. Again.

This guide walks you through a reunion sports day for 8-20 college friends — venue choice, format that works for mixed fitness levels, and the logistics that decide whether people leave smiling or quietly disappear.

Start with one decision: indoor or outdoor

Everything else flows from this. In Kathmandu, weather and air quality decide more than you'd think.

• Outdoor cricket or football — Best October-March. Plan for sun, dust, and 90 minutes max before someone cramps.
• Indoor futsal or badminton — Year-round, weatherproof, less drama. Easier for groups with mixed fitness.
• Multi-sport (futsal + badminton + table tennis) — Best for groups of 12+. Lets non-runners stay involved.

If three of you haven't run since 2021, pick indoor or multi-sport. A reunion that ends with someone limping to Bir Hospital is not the reunion you want.

Group size dictates format

Group size	Best format	Slot length
8-10	Single futsal (5v5) or doubles badminton	90 min
10-14	Futsal with rotations or box cricket	2 hours
14-20	Multi-sport (futsal + badminton + lounge)	2.5-3 hours

For 14+ people on one futsal court, you'll be benched half the time. Either rotate every 8 minutes or split into two parallel sports.

Venue checklist for a reunion

A reunion is not a regular pickup. Five things matter more than usual:

1. Parking for 6-10 vehicles. Half your group will drive solo because they're coming from different neighborhoods.
2. A waiting area with seats. People who aren't playing right now need somewhere to sit and catch up — the whole point of a reunion.
3. Phone-friendly Wi-Fi or 4G. Group photos, live shares, the wedding-WhatsApp updates.
4. A toilet that works. You'd be surprised.
5. Food nearby or onsite. Either the venue has a cafe or there's a Newari joint within 10 minutes.

Venues in Jhamsikhel, Sanepa, and Bhaisepati tend to score well on all five. Chabahil and Boudha are cheaper but parking gets tight after 6pm.

A 3-hour reunion timeline that works

This is field-tested. Adjust to your group.

• 0:00-0:15 — Arrival, hugs, the "where are you living now" round. Don't start sport yet.
• 0:15-0:30 — Warm-up game. Something low-stakes — keepy-uppy circles, pass-pass drills. Lets people remember their bodies exist.
• 0:30-1:30 — Main sport, with rotations every 10-15 minutes.
• 1:30-1:50 — Break. Water, biscuits, the second "where are you living now" round.
• 1:50-2:30 — Second sport or a final friendly with mixed teams (no captains who played D-grade in college — disperse them).
• 2:30-3:00 — Cool-down, group photo, plan for food.

Three hours is the sweet spot. Less and it feels rushed. More and the post-sport beers start before the sport ends.

Splitting the cost without awkwardness

For 12 people at a Rs. 2,400/hr futsal slot for two hours = Rs. 4,800. Add Rs. 1,200 for badminton court 1 hour = Rs. 6,000 total. That's Rs. 500/head.

Three ways to handle it:

• One person pays, others Khalti/eSewa transfer. Simplest. Send a screenshot of the bill.
• Split at booking. Maidaan booking + group payment link works for known groups.
• One person sponsors the venue, others buy food. Best for the friend who insists.

Avoid splitting cash at the venue. Three people will say "I'll send it later" and you'll be Rs. 1,500 down.

Mixed fitness levels: the awkward truth

Your college striker is now 32, sits 9 hours a day, and will tear a hamstring in the first 10 minutes if you go full pace. Three rules:

1. First 20 minutes are warm-up, not match. No one is allowed to sprint full speed.
2. Substitute every 8-10 minutes. Even for those who say they're fine.
3. No tackles, no slides. Friendly means friendly. Save the studs for a club match.

Frame it as "casual rules" before kickoff. Adults respond to structure; they don't respond to being told they're old.

Food: where to land after

The reunion isn't done at full-time. Where you eat matters as much as where you played.

• Patan side (Jhamsikhel, Sanepa, Pulchowk): Newari joints around Patan Durbar Square for chhoyla and chiura, or the Jhamsikhel cafe strip if the group wants pizza-and-beer.
• Kathmandu side (Baluwatar, Chabahil, Boudha): Thakali joints near Boudha for daal-bhaat, or Thamel street food if the group wants variety.
• Bhaisepati / Satdobato: Cafe options have grown — pick one with parking.

We have a separate guide on post-match food spots in Kathmandu if you want categories and zones.

How Maidaan helps

Maidaan lets you book futsal, cricket, badminton, and multi-sport venues across Kathmandu and Lalitpur in one place — filter by group size, parking, and amenities. Browse venues across Kathmandu and lock the slot before the WhatsApp group changes its mind. For a step-by-step on getting 12 people aligned, see our guide on organizing a sports match in Kathmandu without the drama.

Book the slot before the trip dates change

Reunions live or die on logistics. Pick the venue, send the link, lock the date. The rest is just showing up. Browse venues in Kathmandu and book the slot today.