Sports For Youngsters! Know How 'Bano Champion' Is Inculcating Sports Culture In Rural Rajasthan

Starting in 2018, HKL Sports Foundation began the 'TheSportsKartail' as an initiative from a remote village in Sonepat district, Haryana, with about five kids in their early teens. Under the leadership of Devang Sharma, the team started with football and gradually reached approximately 50 kids in a month. The kids were given sports training with a fitness skill learning approach.

After four and a half months of successful operations, the team observed that sports was already doing its magic. The programme has over 230 kids enrolled with 35:65 girls to boys ratio. The initiative boasts of participation from five-year-old kids to kids who were done with their schooling. It also received participation from almost every kid, regardless of religion and community that resides in the area.

'Bano Champion' Project

This gave confidence to 'TheSportsKartail' team, and with the support of AU Small Finance Bank, the 'Bano Champion' project was conceptualised. The 'Bano Champion' project aims to bring a systemic change in how sports is viewed and practised in semi-urban and rural areas of Rajasthan. So far, this programme has inculcated sports culture amongst the youth at large and trained them to excel.

Reinvigorating sports at the grassroots and improving the skills of young children, The Sports Kartail, through its initiative, is enabling the youth from the semi-urban and rural areas of Rajasthan to get guided sports training and perform in sports competitions in District, State, and National levels.

Devang Sharma, while talking to The Logical Indian, said, "In less than a year, the program is directly touching the lives of more than 6000 children from semi-urban and rural areas of Rajasthan. These children are provided with guided sports training in sports like football, throwball, and athletics and get to practice daily under the guidance."

"From August 2022, we expect to reach out to more kids, and they will be getting a taste of competitive games when we do our first village tournaments this year. We are focusing on sports tournaments as a platform which will surely inspire these kids to be on top of their marks and be a champion," he added.

Lack Of Guidance In Rural Areas

There is a lack of guided sports training in rural and semi-urban areas in India. The organisation aims to bring a systemic change and a transformation in mindset through the initiative. The Bano Champion project is operational in 16 districts of Rajasthan and aspires to train over 12,000 children across all locations.

Under the programme, 'TheSportsKartail' is also training youth from the semi-urban and rural areas of Rajasthan and preparing them to become sports coaches. Recently, a batch of 60 coaches from different parts of Rajasthan has been trained at Jaipur and inducted under the initiative.

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