THE SPORTS REVIEW - YEAR END EDITION 2022

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO - Deepthi Bopaiah

2022, what a phenomenal sporting season it has been! As the Foundation completed its 14th year since inception, we were able to increase our tangible impact on the Indian sports ecosystem - new domains were explored within the ecosystem through new athlete scholarship programmes, our athlete support structure was strengthened, and athletes supported by the Foundation were able to make India proud on some of the grandest sporting stages. It was also a great privilege for me to be awarded to pursue the prestigious Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence at the 英国牛津大学 , having been selected for the tangible impact that we have created over the past few years at the Foundation.

Following watershed campaigns at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, there arose a collective responsibility as a nation to build on these successes.

The 2022 sporting season was a pivotal one in India's sporting history, with the nation steadily continuing its ascension towards becoming a globally recognised sporting superpower. A moment to savour was watching Team India clinch its first-ever Thomas Cup title against all odds. After years of constant heartbreak, it felt absolutely incredible to watch Team India go on a run that included victories against Germany, Canada, Malaysia, and Denmark, and a comprehensive victory over 14-time champions Indonesia, in the final. This win was Indian Badminton's very own '83 Cricket World Cup moment and massively impacted the nation as a whole.

Up next was the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG), which certainly lived up to its billing. Team India notched up an impressive performance, finishing 4th on the overall medal tally, with a total of 61 medals (22 gold | 16 silver | 23 bronze). GoSports Foundation was well represented at the event, with 17 athletes supported by the Foundation taking part and clinching nine medals (3 gold | 3 silver | 3 bronze).

To round up a memorable sporting year, it was great to have the GoSports Foundation Athletes’ Conclave for the first time in three years. The Athletes’ Conclave is a unique event in the Indian sports ecosystem, where junior athletes have the opportunity to learn from their peers and other experts across various disciplines. At the conclave, the Foundation had 75 attendees, including 20 Paralympians, 13 Olympians, 4 Youth Olympians, 17 CWG athletes, and 11 CWG medalists.

Finally, it was delightful to end the year on a high through the GoSports Annual Sports Awards Night. The event gave the Foundation an opportunity to acknowledge the role of each of its partners, donors, and well-wishers and also recognise the incredible sporting achievements of the athletes supported by the Foundation.

I look forward to seeing what 2023 holds in store for Indian sport!

ATHLETE UPDATES

2022 has been a truly special year for the athletes supported by the Foundation, with memorable moments across the world’s grandest stages. Here are a few more sporting moments to cherish!

PROGRAMME UPDATES

The Foundation currently has multiple operational athlete scholarship programmes for the ongoing financial?year?2022-23, across various domains in the Indian sports ecosystem.

Existing Programmes

Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme

Supported by?- Aditya Birla Capital Foundation (Exclusive Partner)

Premise?- A programme created with the vision of identifying elite athletes across Olympic disciplines to be catalysts of change and role models for Indian sport.

A comprehensive selection and renewal process was carried out for the FY 2022-23 term, followed by a due diligence procedure for the newly shortlisted athletes. Mr Rahul Bose, former international Rugby player and actor; Ms Aparna Popat, OLY , former international Badminton player; and Ms Deepthi Bopaiah , CEO - GoSports Foundation, were the panellists for the interview process. The interview process was also graced by the presence of Mr Rakesh Singh , Managing Director and CEO - Aditya Birla Finance; Mr Ajay Kakar , CMO - Aditya Birla Capital, and Mr Gopal Kumar , CSR Head - Aditya Birla Capital.

Para Champions Programme

Supported by -? IndusInd Bank (Principal Partner), AT&T (Premium Partner), Gameskraft Foundation (Associate Partner)

Premise -?A programme designed with the vision of supporting athletes with disabilities on their Paralympic journeys and changing the general perception towards the Persons with Disabilities community.

A comprehensive selection and renewal process was carried out for the FY 2022-23 term, followed by a due diligence procedure for the newly shortlisted athletes. Mr D Ranganathan, former Vice Chairman of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India; Mr Ajit Wijetilekk, former international Badminton player; Ms Neelam Kapur , former Director General at the Sports Authority of India, and Ms Deepthi Bopaiah , CEO - GoSports Foundation, were the panellists for the interview process.

GoSports Long Term Athlete Development Programme

Supported by -? AT&T (Associate Partner), BI WORLDWIDE (Partner)

Premise -?A programme conceptualised to create pathways to excellence for emerging talents and scientifically support their development.

A comprehensive selection and renewal process was carried out for the FY 2022-23 term, followed by a due diligence procedure for the newly shortlisted athletes. Mr Abhinav Mukund , former international cricketer for the Indian Men’s Cricket Team, and Ms Deepthi Bopaiah , CEO - GoSports Foundation, were the panellists for the interview process.

Arunachal Pradesh Elite Athlete Development Programme

Supported by -?Directorate of Sports, Government of Arunachal Pradesh (Exclusive Partner)

Premise -?The first state-funded elite athlete development programme focused on the holistic development of athletes hailing from the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The ongoing programme term has included the facilitation of several need-based interventions for the athletes supported under the cohort. These interventions have enabled some impressive performances at the domestic and international levels. Some of the star performers include Markio Tario (Weightlifting), Kamdon Boi (Judo) and Taw Pakba (Boxing).

New Programmes

Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme

Supported by -? Brigade Group Foundation (Associate Partner), FDC Limited (Launch Partner)

Premise -?A programme that has been conceptualised to support and empower young women from across the country aspiring to make professional careers in cricket.

A virtual interview was conducted as one of the final components of the athlete selection process for athletes shortlisted by designated observers during the programme’s inaugural term. Ms Snehal Pradhan , former International cricketer for the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, Mr Raghvendran Gurumurthy , Finance Controller - GoSports Foundation, and Ms Deepthi Bopaiah , CEO - GoSports Foundation, were the panellists for the interview process.

Unstoppable - Karke Dikhaungi Programme

Supported by -? HDFC Bank Ltd. (Exclusive Partner)

Premise -?A programme instituted with the aims of identifying talented women athletes from humble backgrounds, supporting them in their pursuit of sporting excellence, and helping them become breadwinners and role models in their communities.

A virtual launch was organised to kickstart the programme, moderated by Mr Suhail Chandhok , noted sports broadcaster, and featuring addresses by Ms Nusrat Pathan , Head of CSR at HDFC Bank Ltd., and Ms Deepthi Bopaiah , CEO - GoSports Foundation. This was followed by multiple focus group discussions, physical assessments, athlete selection interviews, and due diligence processes. The interviews were conducted in two parts, and the panellists for the same included - Ms Arati Ponnappa Natekar Ponappa, former international tennis player; Mr Gaurav Sundararaman , noted sports performance analyst; Mr Abishek Laxminarayan , Trustee - GoSports Foundation; Mr Anand Balakrishnan , Senior Lead - Scouting, Research & Content - GoSports Foundation; and Mr Arnab Das , Head - Programmes - GoSports Foundation.

DreamGold Programme

Supported by -? Dream Sports Foundation (Exclusive Partner)

Premise -?A programme instituted with the objective of tangibly impacting the Indian sports ecosystem at the grassroots level by identifying emerging athletes across diverse sports and providing them with necessary holistic support.

The DreamGold Programme presented by Dream Sports Foundation was curated with major outcomes for the programme envisioned at events such as the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Some of India’s most promising athletes across niche sporting disciplines were included under the programme.

GoBeyond Long Term Athlete Development Programme

Supported by -? Sony Pictures Networks India (Exclusive Partner)

Premise -?A programme created to generate a sustainable pipeline of talented Indian athletes by grooming the next generation of Indian athletes through financial aid and sports science interventions at a formative stage of their careers.

In addition to the regular need-based interventions provided to the cohort of athletes, the inaugural term of the programme also included a special video curated involving many of the athletes supported under the programme on the occasion of National Sports Day.

FOUNDATION UPDATES

2022 brought with it a range of special developments as the Foundation completed its 14th?year?at the forefront of change and innovation in the Indian sports ecosystem. Some of the most memorable highlights for the Foundation include -

PARTNER RECOGNITION SPOTLIGHT

National CSR Awards 2020 - Aditya Birla Capital Foundation

GoSports Foundation is elated to note that our partner Aditya Birla Capital Foundation, was presented with an honourable mention in the ‘Promotion of Sports’ sub-category, at the National CSR Awards, 2020, for the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme.

The conferment of this award provides immense reassurance to both parties about the impact that the programme has had on the Indian sports ecosystem at large since its inception.

Aditya Birla Capital Foundation has shared a longstanding association with GoSports Foundation since the inception of the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme in 2015.

The journey since then has been truly special, with multiple historic firsts created for India by athletes supported under the programme. GoSports Foundation looks forward to continuing to change the script and tangibly impacting the Indian sports ecosystem alongside Aditya Birla Capital Foundation for the years to come!

National CSR Times Awards 2022 - IndusInd Bank

GoSports Foundation is delighted to note that our partner IndusInd Bank was presented with a Gold Award in the category of Sports Promotion at the 9th National CSR Times Awards for the IndusInd Para Champions Programme, Implemented by GoSports Foundation!

This award is a testament to the tangible impact created through the programme. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction to see IndusInd Bank be conferred with this prestigious honour.

IndusInd Bank was one of the first corporate organisations in the country to support a scholarship programme for para-athletes and para-sports through its corporate social responsibility initiatives.

IndusInd Bank has been supporting the Para Champions Programme as the 'Principal Partner' since the programme's inception in 2015. It has been a long and truly fruitful journey since then, enabling the creation of 27 Paralympians and 10 Paralympic medalists across two Paralympic campaigns - Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

GoSports Foundation looks forward to continuing to change the script and tangibly impacting the Indian sports ecosystem alongside IndusInd Bank for the years to come!

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India is clearly heading towards a bright sporting future and it is essential that we take advantage of the momentum that has been created through watershed performances at the Tokyo Olympics, Tokyo Paralympics, and 2022 Commonwealth Games! Indian sport is at an exciting point, with the 2022 Asian Games, 2022 Asian Para Games, 2024 Olympics, and 2024 Paralympics fast approaching, and the athletes need the nation's support to achieve their dreams. You can make a difference by contributing towards the health, welfare and safety of the athletes we support, or by starting a programme or project to develop Indian sport. As we have seen, when we come together as one, we can make a huge difference in Indian sport! #ChangeTheScript

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