Preeti Kulung Rai (; born 21 November 2004) is a Nepalese

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

for KickStart FC and Nepal national women's team. Rai made a remarkable debut for Nepal's national women's football team in a FIFA Friendly match against Bangladesh at Dasharath Stadium on 9 September 2021. At just 16 years old, Rai showed her skills and made an immediate impact by scoring a stunning goal in the 22nd minute.

Early life

Rai is a native of

Solukhumbu District Solukhumbu District ( , Sherpa: , Wylie: shar khum bu dzong) is one of 14 districts of Koshi Province of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the sub-regions Solu and Khumbu. The closest post office to Solukhumbu with a postal co ...

, Nepal. She is the daughter of Chandra Prasad Rai and Gyanmaya Rai. She attended Sharada Academy in Nepal. She started playing football at the age of six.

Career

Rai was part of

Nepal women's national football team The Nepal women's national football team is controlled by the All Nepal Football Association and represents Nepal in international women's football competitions. The Women's Football Department has been developed to control and manage the women' ...

at the

2024 WAFF Women's Championship The 2024 WAFF Women's Championship was the 8th edition of the WAFF Women's Championship, the biennial international women's football tournament in West Asia competed by the national teams in the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF). The tourname ...

. Nepal team finished second place in the tournament.

Style of play

Preeti Rai is primarily known for her role as a midfielder, where her playing style is defined by her playmaking abilities, vision, and technical skills. She has an impressive ability to control the game from the midfield, making precise passes and creating scoring opportunities for her teammates. Her skill in providing accurate and timely assists has made her a valuable asset to both her club and the Nepal National Women's Team.

International goals

:''Scores and results list Nepal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rai goal.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Preeti 2004 births Living people Nepalese women's footballers Nepal women's international footballers Women's association football midfielders Indian Women's League players Kickstart FC players Nepalese expatriate sportspeople in India Nepalese expatriate women's footballers Expatriate women's footballers in India