This Foundation Provides Scholarships To Women Athletes Making Indian Sports Ecosystem Accessible, Inclusive

GoSports Foundation's Unstoppable - 'Karke Dikhaungi' athlete scholarship programme is one that is designed to offer holistic support to talented female athletes and enable them to become India's next sporting champions. The initiative is exclusively supported by HDFC bank under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing, 'Parivartan'.

To find sports talent, they aim to reach out to young girls and women who dream of becoming a sportsperson at the highest level for the nation.

Focusing On Women's Participation In Sports

The scholarship programme provides ₹ 5-10 Lakhs on an average to women athletes, while coaches will receive ₹ 5 lakhs. Furthermore, the programme will cover all travel, equipment, training, coaching, etc., requirements to make sports more accessible and inclusive for women. Applications are invited from all state and national level women sportsperson across - Olympics, Winter Games, Paralympics and Motorsports, as cited in the News 18.

The initiative will include all issues women face in sports to make their participation easier and healthier. Through various programmes on menstrual health, hygiene, mental health and prevention of sexual harassment, the GoSports Foundation vows to create a safe space for women in the sports arena.

Screening Process And Timeline

The application period will remain open from May 24 to June 24, 2022. After applying, selected candidates will be informed for further screening. The screening process includes interviews, feedback from the athlete's coaches, expert opinions, etc. The whole process will be over within 100 days.

Around 20 women athletes will be finalised to provide scholarships and support during their careers. Moreover, the top 100 athletes will get access to various educational workshops around sports if they get to the third round of screening. There will be another phase where applications from coaches will be welcomed and processed, similar to that of athletes.

Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO of the GoSports Foundation, remarked that the GoSports Foundation has been lucky enough to become a crucial stepping stone over the last 13 years for many women athletes such as Bhavani Devi, Dipa Karmakar, and Avani Lekhara. She further commented, "We are very excited to have HDFC Bank on board to launch a unique programme for young girls and women in sport. We focus on their overall development in their (athletes) respective sporting journeys."

To unearth talent in India, if you think you have what it takes or some woman you know is extraordinarily gifted in sports, reach out to the Foundation by filling out this form.

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