Happy 2025 to all.

As we bid farewell to another remarkable year, we find ourselves with a unique opportunity to reflect on the critical events and situations that shaped us—and those we have been able to influence.

Indeed, the year has been nothing short of transformative for our #SportForChange platform, marked by meaningful milestones and promising directions we carry forward into 2025 - Some of which are outlined below:

1.  Mainstreaming of Sports for Societal Change:

Sports continues to emerge as a powerful catalyst for engaging young people and driving change across critical areas such as health, education, employability, and social equity. The past year also saw a noticeable increase in the number of conversations we've had with corporates, philanthropic partners, government agencies, and communities on evaluating sports for societal change.

2.  Sports Sustainability:

One of our programs in Maharashtra was successfully adopted by the local community (Gram Panchayat) after the funder's exit, giving us one of the first cases demonstrating a sustainable model for community-driven sports development.

3.  Sports for Employability:

Opportunities for providing sports-based and non-sports-based career paths for young people engaging with sports gained significant traction in 2024. We designed and integrated these modules into several large-scale programs to help create pathways for employability for young people.

4.  Launch of PathwayZ36 Initiative:

Our PathwayZ36 initiative, with a vision to field elite athletes in the Olympics 2036, also took flight in 2024. The program was launched in concert with one of our key Corporate/ CSR partners - by onboarding our first cohort of 20 young student-athletes. The scope of the program also includes strengthening enabling processes, sports infrastructure, and data platforms at the grassroots.

5.  Enriching Body of Evidence for Sports:

We commissioned a few crucial Studies/ Research in 2024 viz. evaluating barriers to girls’ participation in sports; sports for improving employability (specifically in rural areas); and the impact of sports on ethnicity/ tribal identity (of young people).

6.  Collaborating with the Odisha Government:

In a landmark move, we signed an MoU with the Govt. of Odisha to enhance sports education across 1600+ SC & ST (residential) schools located in tribal districts - to help expand the capacities of young people and improve social equity.

7.  Get Kids to Play Summits:

We hosted a series of unique summits in key cities, bringing together diverse voices of students, parents, educators, policymakers, sports experts, and funding partners. These summits sparked insightful discussions and built momentum for scaling the adoption of sports across India.

As we gear up for another exciting year, we remain committed to building on some of these initiatives as part of our #SportForChange platform - and look forward to your continued support.

Wishing you all a happy and fulfilling 2025!

Warm Regards,

Parminder Gill
Co-Founder & Head of Foundation
Sportz Village

PathwayZ36: Empowering grassroots athletes for national and international success

In the final quarter of 2024, Sportz Village Foundation launched PathwayZ36, an exciting initiative to identify and nurture highly talented student-athletes to the elite level, building on India’s quest for Olympic glory in 2036. This program is designed to support their journey toward becoming elite athletes at national and international levels. Beyond athlete development, PathwayZ36 also focuses on strengthening enabling processes, sports infrastructure, and building data platforms for scale. Launched in partnership with Campus Activewear Ltd. as the initiative’s first partner, PathwayZ36 has already onboarded a cohort of 20 promising young student-athletes.

Sportz Village Foundation joins forces with Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Limited to infuse structured sports education covering 1200+ beneficiaries

In December 2024, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) partnered with Sportz Village Foundation to execute the #SportForChange program in the Sambalpur District of Odisha. The program aims to infuse a structured sports program to enhance their schools’ sports ecosystem. Currently, implemented in 6 schools covering 1200+ beneficiaries, the P.E. program is set to conduct health assessments, drive community engagements, and provide specialized training to students who showcase immense talent and potential at Sportz Village’s Sports Development Centres.

Celebrating the recipients of the #SportForChange Playmaker awards

Corporates play a crucial role in driving social impact through sports in underserved communities. At the 2024 Get Kids To Play Summits, Sportz Village Foundation recognized key organizations like HCL Foundation, Vama Sundari Investments, KPMG, Bata, Casio, Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, Sagility, LatentView Analytics, and ASK Foundation (ASK Asset & Wealth Management) with the #SportForChange Playmaker awards. These organizations have demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication toward increasing access to sports and ensuring that more children are empowered through the power of play.

Nurturing India's champions through Sports Excellence PathwayZ program

Student-athletes from Khelo Dadri initiative strike 90+ medals

The Shiv Nadar University's 'SNU Community Connect Program' in collaboration with Sportz Village Foundation introduced the 'Khelo Dadri' initiative, across three educational institutes in Dadri (U.P). The results have been remarkable with student-athletes securing 52 Gold, 14 Silver, and 27 Bronze medals in district, state, and national tournaments.

Back-kicking to victory: Junior Kabaddi Boys Team wins Silver at the U-17 district-level competition

HCL Foundation in collaboration with Sportz Village Foundation is dedicated to identifying, training, and nurturing sporting talent leveraging the #SportForChange program. In 2024, the Junior Kabaddi Boys Team from Noida demonstrated outstanding skill, resilience, and teamwork at the U-17 District Level Competition, earning them a well-deserved silver medal.

Empowering young athletes with Casio

Casio India in collaboration with Sportz Village Foundation constantly works towards developing the skills of select student-athletes in cricket, kabaddi, football, and athletics through training at Sportz Village’s four Sports Development Centres (SDC). In December 2024, student-athletes showcased their hard work and dedication at the district-level competition organized by Yuva Kalyan, securing gold and silver medals in Kabaddi.

Yogdaan: Bridging employee engagement and social impact with sports

With over 350 employee volunteers contributing more than 2,500 hours, Yogdaan has become a valuable platform for organizations to actively engage their employees. Through its employee volunteering program, companies connect with school children via sports and play, integrating these efforts into their broader CSR or social impact initiatives.

Sportz Village Foundation at the 12th Corporate Social Responsibility Summit and Awards

Parminder Gill, Co-Founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, attended the 12th Corporate Social Responsibility Summit and Awards. At the event, Parminder shared his valuable insights on "Empowering Change: CSR's Key Focus Areas for a Better Future" and how businesses can align profitability with purpose.

Release of our film on the 16th anniversary of EduSports: “It takes a village to create champions I Sportz Village - India's largest school sports organization”

The film celebrates Sportz Village's commitment to getting children to play more whilst balancing academics and sports. It highlights the journey of Dilip, a young student from a humble background, and the various barriers that he needs to overcome even before he can make or break records. The film emphasizes that creating champions is a collective effort involving parents, educators, coaches, and school leaders.

Get Kids To Play Summits conducted pan India in 2024: An enormous success

In 2024, Sportz Village hosted the Get Kids to Play Summits in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi, uniting a passionate group of parents, P.E. teachers, school leaders, corporates, industry leaders, philanthropists, and policymakers to tackle the pressing issue: How we get more kids to play? The discussions were rich and insightful, with corporates and philanthropists typically, exploring how sports-based CSR programs can drive Education, Excellence, and Empowerment, foster gender equality, improve developmental outcomes in school children, and provide livelihood opportunities.