Wellington Phoenix women’s forward Sabitra Bhandari has raised $135,000 in 24 hours to fund her knee surgery.
About a day after pleading for financial support on social media for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, Nepal national team captain Bhandari has thanked her fans for helping her raise enoughmoney to travel and have surgery in Qatar.
She said she wanted to have her surgery at the Aspetar hospital in Doha because she had been treated there for a previous injury and had a positive experience.
“I cannot describe in words the support, trust and love I have received for my treatment in the last 24 hours,” Bhandari said in an updated post.
“Financially, you have already covered the cost of my treatment. The support and promises I have received has made me even stronger.
“With this energy, I will put in 100% effort in my surgery and rehabilitation.”
Wellington Phoenix forward Sabitra Bhandari has raised enough money to fund her ACL surgery. Photo / Albert Perez, Getty Images
Nearly $57,000 had been raised for the surgery through her Givealittle page, while “1 Crore Nepalese Rupees” ($115,000) had been deposited directly into her Nepalese bank account.
Bhandari claimed the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) had helped fund her previous ACL surgery, but would be providing only limited support this time.
However, in a statement posted on social media, Anfa said it had “made all efforts” to support her receiving treatment in the Middle East.
A Wellington Phoenix spokesperson previously said the club were backing their player’s plea for financial support, and the insurance payout received for Bhandari’s injury would go towards her operation, but it would still not be enough.
“Her fanbase, in particular the Nepalese community, have been incredibly generous so far to help her fulfil her wish of receiving treatment at the world-renowned Aspetar facility, where she had her ACL surgery in 2021,” the spokesperson said.
Bhandari, also known as ‘Samba’, was unveiled as the Phoenix’s fourth visa signing for the 2025-26 A-League season in July and made her debut for Nepal at 17 years old.
