Studies from across the world show that sport and physical activity are effective, engaging ways to improve children’s overall wellbeing. Beyond physical fitness, play can strengthen socio-emotional health, academic learning and life skills that help children succeed in school, life and work.
Playing is the right of every child. Yet, millions of children in India, particularly those from economically disadvantaged communities, continue to have limited access to sports and structured physical activity.
For a young and developing nation, helping children build healthy and active lifestyles from an early age is essential. Making sport an integral part of education can become an important step towards stronger, healthier and more confident communities.
Sportz Village Foundation was established in 2017 with a vision to help more children access the power of play.
The foundation works with public schools, corporate CSR partners and governments to support underprivileged children and young people through structured sports education programmes.
Sportz Village Foundation sees sport not only as recreation, but as a comprehensive and cost-effective development tool that can create meaningful change in children, adolescents and youth.
Its Sport For Change programmes are designed to improve:
The programmes are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including good health, gender equality and sustainable communities.
Currently, Sportz Village Foundation works with more than 1,300 schools across 250 locations, impacting around 7,00,000 children. The foundation also serves as a strategic partner and advisor on sports education for organisations and institutions including NSDC, CII, NITI Aayog and state governments.
Sportz Village Foundation collaborates with corporates and governments to implement structured EduSports curriculum in public schools.
This curriculum forms part of the larger Sport For Change programme, which combines sports and physical activity to create positive outcomes in schools.
The programme is designed to become part of the school’s educational process and focuses on helping children learn through movement, games, team activities and structured sports sessions.
Through this approach, children develop:
The Sport For Change model supports children from the early years of school through adolescence.
At the foundational level, children build basic movement skills and confidence through age-appropriate physical activities.
As they grow, they are introduced to different sports and opportunities to develop teamwork, communication, discipline and problem-solving abilities.
For children who demonstrate interest and potential, the programme also creates pathways towards sports development and sporting excellence.
Selected student-athletes receive access to advanced coaching, fitness assessments, sports-specific training and exposure to matches and competitions.
Some children go on to represent their schools, districts, zones, states and even national-level teams.
Sportz Village Foundation also creates in-school and out-of-school platforms to identify, train and nurture young sports talent.
Through Sports Development and Sports Excellence programmes, talented children are supported with structured coaching, match exposure and high-performance learning opportunities.
The goal is to help interested children progress towards elite sport, higher education and stronger employability opportunities.
The foundation also aims to build capacity within communities by enabling children and young people to become sports trainers and facilitators over time.
Sport For Change programmes have shown positive impact across several areas of a child’s development.
In more than 390 schools supported by Ashok Leyland, the programme demonstrated a 10% increase in fitness levels after 18 months.
The programme also contributed to positive outcomes in attendance and a reduction in instances of deviant behaviour.
In more than 150 schools, implemented in partnership with the Sports Authority of Gujarat, the programme recorded a 23% increase in female participation in after-school activities two years after launch.
In over 300 schools across eight states, supported by the National Skill Development Corporation, more than 80% of candidates from target communities either moved on to higher education or found employment as sports trainers.
Rukhsar, an 11th-grade student from GGIC Vikash Nagar in Lucknow, comes from a family of six.
Despite financial challenges and limited access to sporting opportunities, she remained determined to pursue Kabaddi. With the launch of the Sport For Change initiative supported by HCL Foundation, Rukhsar gained opportunities to train under expert coaches and sports nutritionists.
She developed into a strong Kabaddi player, while also building leadership qualities, discipline and sincerity towards her teammates and coaches.
Rukhsar was selected for senior women’s state and junior state-level Kabaddi categories. She also secured first place in triple jump at the district level.
Her goal is to represent the country in the future.
Deepanshu Nimesh, a student from Gautam Buddha Balak Inter College in Noida, began his sporting journey through football at school.
After participating in athletics trials conducted by HCL Foundation, he developed a strong interest in athletics and began training under the Sportz Village Foundation High-Performance Learning Centre.
He won a silver medal in the 400-metre race at Guru Govind Singh Sports College’s Winter Sports Camp in Lucknow.
Deepanshu hopes to join the Indian Army, and sport continues to be a major source of motivation and direction in his life.
Sportz Village Foundation’s Annual Health Survey has shown that structured sports programmes can support improvement not only in health, but also in children’s social-emotional capabilities.
The reported outcomes include:
The programme also recorded stronger outcomes in social-emotional learning among children who were regularly active in sports sessions.
The long-term goal of Sport For Change is to build the capacity of schools and communities so that they can continue sports activities independently.
The programme aims to equip school staff with the knowledge, curriculum support, equipment and guidance required to run structured sports activities for children.
Over time, the initiative also plans to expand towards youth-focused programmes that build employability skills and address wider community challenges such as gender inequality.
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