CB BureauA programme to groom world-class female athletes across six disciplines of boxing, judo, wrestling, etc., was launched recently by IndusInd Bank in partnership with JSW Foundation. Named IndusInd Bank Girl Power Programme, apart from sports training, this initiative will also cover their overall development, including a tailor-made school education programme and foster care in the institute. It will focus on high-quality coaching, holistic strength and conditioning, and a customised education curriculum that balances sports and academics for these young girls.
This is the third initiative under the two-year old ‘IndusInd for Sports’ programme, whose motto is inclusiveness. The other two projects are with para athletes and blind cricketers. The main goal for this programme is to enable talented young girls to win medals at international sporting events such as the Olympics and Asian Games.
However, questions related to the duration of the programme or for how long will each batch of athletes be supported went unanswered by IndusInd Bank. Another potential cause for concern is the level of parental involvement and mechanisms to ensure that the girls are well taken care of.
In a press release shared with CB, Sanjeev Anand, country head – commercial banking and in-charge of Sports Vertical, IndusInd Bank, said at the programme’s launch: ‘Sports offer unique insights about dealing with challenges and learning from uncertainty. Sports make us get out of our comfort zones and provide us with rich lessons which we can adopt in our professional and personal lives. Sports and athletic training encourage and enhance the overall edifice of one’s character. With this initiative, we want to support these young athletes and groom them so that they can grow and perform to the highest level of their potential and bring glory for themselves and for the country.’