In partnership with GoSports, the Infosys Foundation, the charitable and CSR arm of the multinational IT company Infosys, unveiled the "Girls for Gold" programme for young and aspiring female athletes.
The programme, which will run for the first four years, will work with coaches and high potential academies in India to find and develop young Indian women athletes between the ages of 13 and 19. Additionally, the programme will offer coaching for scholarships, admission to academies, and performance rewards. For this programme, a total grant of Rs 30 crore has been made available.
“We truly appreciate Infosys Foundation’s commitment to creating cutting-edge avenues for girls and young women to become sporting champions for India. The holistic model of the ‘Girls for Gold Program’ builds the ecosystem by investing in human and institutional capacity and creating talent pathways for future generations. We are confident of the impact that this unique program will have on the lives and careers of women athletes we will support and, more broadly, on Indian sport," said Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO – GoSports Foundation.
The programme has been broken down into three main components. First of all, it will develop a strong group of female athletes who are prepared to compete on a global scale, support them in establishing long-lasting careers, and develop them into role models for the next generation. Second, it will develop a pool of competent coaches who can assist athletes realise their potential and foster an environment of continuous athletic performance. Thirdly, it will assist in technologically enhancing the picked academies to make them top-notch training facilities.
Former Indian shooter and Arjuna Awardee Suma Shirur, former national table tennis champion B Bhuvaneswari, and amateur boxing champion and Padma Vibhushan Awardee MC Mary Kom make up the Champion Advisory Board.
Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation, said: “At Infosys Foundation, a deep-rooted focus on education and women empowerment have been a key priority over the years. Collaborating with GoSports Foundation furthers this long-standing commitment to empower aspiring women athletes with a holistic ecosystem that can help nurture their dreams. Excellence in sports is a driver of social change and we are confident that this collaboration will help these talented young women realize their potential in sports, in an environment amplified with scientific, and tech-enabled processes.”
