Page 67 - Annual Report

The Trusts support sports as a powerful accelerator
for meaningful development, with a focus on young
children and youth, especially the underprivileged
and under-served sections from the rural and tribal
regions of the country, given that historically, these
regions have produced the best athletes who have
succeeded through sheer determination.
The Trusts’ strategy is based on the ‘Sports
Development Pyramid’, which aims to lay a strong
foundation for enjoyable physical education and
sports through in-school and grassroots level
programmes, before building on these
fundamental blocks to identify talented players and
coaches, and provide competitive training
opportunities that lead them to various careers in
sports as players, officials, administrators, etc.
Further, given that partnerships make programmes
stronger and more sustainable, the Trusts identify
local partners with strong outreach capabilities,
such as local clubs, coaches, communities and
First edition of Hockey India Junior & Sub-Junior Women's National Championship in Odisha
state-level sporting associations and work with
Overview them to develop their capacities, so that they can
sustain the programme in the long run. Wherever
possible, collaborations with state governments are
Sports has always been considered an important sought, so that existing infrastructure can be used
catalyst for development; it raises aspirations, and integrated within the programmes.
improves physical and mental health, and aids in
the overall development of children. The United Over the past 4 years, the Trusts have established
Nations has listed sports as a development tool with state-wide sports development programmes at
a host of benefits ranging from raising the grassroots levels in Jharkhand, Mizoram, Manipur
standards of health around the world, to attracting and Odisha, based on the culture and availability of
funding and investment in infrastructure, to basic infrastructure in these regions. Programmes
spawning new livelihood opportunities in the were designed to develop Hockey in Jharkhand
sports ecosystem. and Odisha, Badminton in Mizoram and Football in
Mizoram and Manipur.
Unfortunately, in India, sports is still considered as
an extra-curricular activity for recreational purposes During the year under review, the Trusts worked on
or competitive participation. With more focus on developing programmes to improve the physical
academics, time given to physical activities is literacy of school children. To facilitate this, a ‘Train
reduced, which drastically affects not just the the Trainer’ programme was carried out in
physical but also the mental and social partnership with the Education Departments of
development in children and youth, leading to Jharkhand, Mizoram, Manipur and Odisha, and
many lifestyle diseases. workshops were conducted for physical educators
employed in government schools. The workshops
There is a need to promote and support the Right to emphasised the importance of physical activity and
Play movement, where every child has the right to sports in schools and empowered the trainers with
play, just as they have the right to education. Some tools and ideas for designing sessions that focus on
physical activity or sport needs to be included in the inclusivity as well as enjoyment. The fundamental
school curriculum and should be promoted for the skills developed through physical literacy and
holistic development of children. This will, in turn, grassroots programmes feed into the competitive
feed talent into competitive sports and improve the programmes, which thereby help in identifying
country’s odds of participation and excellence at the talent in the early years.
international level.

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